Fact of the Day

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SUNFLOWERS

Sunflower (Sunfola variety)

against a blue sky. Taken in

Victoria, Australia.

 

Did you know.... that Helianthus annuus, the common sunflower, is a large annual forb of the genus Helianthus grown as a crop for its edible oil and edible fruits. This sunflower species is also used as wild bird food, as livestock forage, in some industrial applications, and as an ornamental in domestic gardens. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About Sunflowers
BY MISS CELLANIA  |  SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

 

Sunflowers, in all their colorful glory, are a happy sight to behold—but there's more to their nature than just beauty. The multipurpose plants deliver healthy snacks, useful oil, and bird seeds. Let your garden knowledge flourish with these facts about Helianthus Annuus.  

 

1. THEY'RE NATIVE TO THE AMERICAS.
Like potatoes, tomatoes, and corn, the cheerful plants didn't originate in Europe. They were cultivated in North America as far back as 3000 BCE, when they were developed for food, medicine, dye, and oil. Then, they were exported to the rest of the world by Spanish conquistadors around 1500.

 

Sunflower Dwarf Sunsation

 

2. THEY WERE BROUGHT TO RUSSIA BY ROYALTY.
Tsar Peter the Great was so fascinated by the sunny flowers he saw in the Netherlands that he took some back to Russia. They became popular when people discovered that sunflower seed oil was not banned during Lent, unlike the other oils the Russian Orthodox Church banned its patrons from consuming. By the 19th century, the country was planting two million acres of sunflowers every year.

 

Unrefined sunflower oil with sunflower inflorescence

 

3. THEIR POPULARITY STANDS THE TEST OF TIME.
Russian immigrants to the United States in the 19th century brought back highly developed sunflower seeds that grew bigger blooms, and sparked a renewed interest in the native American plant. Later, American sunflower production exploded when Missouri farmers began producing sunflower oil in 1946, when Canada unveiled a mechanical seed-crushing plant, and in the 1970s, when consumers looked for low-cholesterol alternatives to animal fats.

 

 

4. THEY NEED A LOT OF RAYS AND ROOM.
The flowers not only look like the sun, they need a lot of it. They grow best with about six to eight hours a day but more is even better. They can grow as tall as 16 feet, although many varieties have been developed to thrive at different heights. Flowers planted too close together will compete and not blossom to their full potential.

 

 

5. THEY TRACK THE SUN.
Sunflowers display a behavior called heliotropism. The flower buds and young blossoms will face east in the morning and follow the sun as the earth moves during the day. However, as the flowers get heavier during seed production, the stems will stiffen and the mature flower heads will generally remain facing east.

 

 

 

6. THE WORLD'S TALLEST SUNFLOWER REACHES 30 FEET AND 1 INCH.
In the summer of 2014, Veteran green-thumb Hans-Peter Schiffer toppled the Guinness World Record for third year in a row. The local fire brigade lent its help in measuring the sunflower, which required its own scaffold.

 

 

7. THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF HEALING.
In Mexico, the flowers were thought to soothe chest pain. A number of Native American tribes agreed with the plant's curing properties. The Cherokee utilized an infusion of sunflower leaves to treat kidneys while the Dakota brought it out to sooth "chest pain and pulmonary troubles." 

 

 

8. THEY HAVE TRAVELED TO SPACE.
In 2012, U.S. astronaut Don Pettit brought along a few companions to the International Space Station: sunflower seeds. Petit regularly blogged about his budding friendship and shared photos of the gardening process. 

 

 

9. THEY ARE ACTUALLY THOUSANDS OF TINY FLOWERS.
Each sunflower's head is made of smaller flowers. The petals we see around the outside are called ray florets, and they cannot reproduce. But the disc florets in the middle, where the seeds develop, have both male and female sex organs, and each produce a seed. They can self-pollinate or take pollen blown by the wind or transported by insects. 

 

 

10. THEY CAN BE USED AS SCRUBBING PADS.
Once the flower heads are empty of seeds, they can be converting into disposable scrubbing pads for jobs too tough for your cleaning tool.  

 

Check out this time-lapse video of sunflowers growing from seed to seeds—indoors!

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Sunflower  |  MentalFloss - Sunflower

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHRISTMAS

Did you know... that although Christmas is all about traditions, there are plenty of very interesting and sometimes even weird things about this holiday? Do you know why Rudolph the reindeer has a red nose? What people eat for Christmas dinner in Japan? How does Santa stretch the time in order to deliver all the gifts in just one night? 

 

Fun Christmas Facts

by Alexandra Labina  |  December 1st 2015

 

1. “Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. The song was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh”. It was supposed to be played in the composer’s Sunday school class during Thanksgiving as a way to commemorate the famed Medford sleigh races. “Jingle Bells” was also the first song to be broadcast from space.

 

 

2. Rudolph’s red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. According to Roger Highfield, the author of the book “The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey” the world’s most famous reindeer has a red nose due to a parasite. However, Rudolph’s relationship with his parasite is symbiotic: after all, the red nose illuminates the path through the winter night for the whole reindeer team.

 

 

3. In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas (the Dutch version of Santa Claus) arrives from Spain, not from the North Pole. And that’s not the only weird thing about the Dutch Christmas. Sinterklaas has his little helpers, but they are not adorable hard-working elves: they are black-faced boys and girls who can steal your kids if they misbehave, and bring them back to Spain which is, according to the Dutch, a severe punishment.

 

 

4. In Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, finding a spider or a spider’s web on a Christmas tree is believed to be a harbinger of good luck. According to one legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus, according to the other – a spider web on the Christmas tree turned silver and gold once the sunlight touched it. One way or another, decorating a Christmas tree with artificial spiders and spider webs will inevitably bring you luck and prosperity!

 

 

5. Santa stretches time like a rubber band, in order to deliver all the gifts in one night. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there are 2,106 million children under age 18 in the world. If we assume that each household has in average 2.5 children, Santa would have to make 842 million stops on Christmas Eve, traveling 221 million miles. Given the different time zones, Santa has 36 hours to deliver gifts, therefore his average speed would be approximately 650 miles per second. It is less than the speed of light (therefore, it’s, theoretically, doable but still quite hard for a chubby old man). Larry Silverberg, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University, suggests that Santa uses relativity clouds to get the work done. Relativity clouds, based on relative physics, allow Santa to stretch time like a rubber band which gives him months to deliver gifts, while only a few minutes pass for the rest of us.

 

 

6. Two weeks before Christmas is the one of the two most popular times for couples to break up. According to data analyzed from Facebook posts and statuses, couples are more likely to end their relationship two weeks before Christmas and two weeks after Valentine’s day, during the spring break. Christmas Day, however, is the least favorite day for breakups.

 

 

7. In Armenia, the traditional Christmas Eve meal consists of fried fish, lettuce and spinach. Many Armenians fast for a week before the Christmas Eve, that’s why, in order not to stress the stomach, the menu for the Christmas dinner is pretty light.

 

 

8. Japanese people traditionally eat at KFC for Christmas dinner. Although the percentage of christian people in Japan is close to zero, every Christmas, kids and grown-ups head to the closest KFC to enjoy some fried chicken – the closest food to turkey that you can get in Japan. It’s all thanks to a successful “Kentucky for Christmas!” marketing campaign in 1947. First aimed at foreigners, KFC offered a “Christmas dinner” that contained chicken and wine – a meal that remotely resembled the food expats and tourists had at home. After a huge success, Kentucky Fried Chicken started promoting this offer every year, until the fast food chain became strongly associated with the holiday season.

 

 

9. The “X” in “Xmas” doesn’t take “Christ” out of “Christmas". Xmas is a common abbreviation of the word Christmas, however, some people think that this spelling is not right, because it takes the “Christ” out of Christmas. Don’t worry, no one is taking the “Christ” anywhere. In the Greek alphabet, the letter X (“chi”) is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ or Christos.

 

 

10. The first artificial Christmas Tree wasn’t a tree at all. It was created out of goose feathers that were dyed green. The first artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany in the 19th century, due to a major continuous deforestation. The feather trees became increasingly popular during the early 20th century and finally made their way to the US.

 

 

11. Iceland has 13 Santas and an old lady who kidnaps children. Christmas in Iceland is a colorful fusion of religion, fairy tales and folklore. Instead of one Santa, the kids are visited by 13 Yule Lads that either reward children for good behavior or punish them if they were naughty. The holiday period begins 13 days before Christmas and each day one of the 13 Yule Lads comes to houses and fills the shoes that kids leave under the Christmas tree either with sweets and small gifts or rotting potatoes, depending on how that particular child has behaved on the preceding day. The mother of Yule Lads, half-troll, half-beast, horrifying old woman Grýla, kidnaps naughty kids and boils them in her cauldron.

 

 

12. In Germany, Heiligabend, or Christmas Eve, is said to be a magical time when the pure in heart can hear animals talking. They can also see that rivers turn into wine, Christmas tree blossoms bear fruit, mountains open, revealing gems hidden inside and bell ringing can be heard from the bottom of the sea.

 

 

 

Source: 12 Fun Christmas Facts

 

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WINTER SPORTS

 

Did you know... that winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and artificial ice allow more flexibility. Artificial ice can be used to provide ice rinks for ice skating, ice hockey, and bandy in a milder climate. Common individual sports include cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, luge, skeleton, bobsleigh, ski orienteering and snowmobiling. Common team sports include ice hockey, curling, and bandy. Based on the number of participants, ice hockey is by far the world's most popular winter sport, followed by bandy. Winter sports have their own multi-sport events, such as the Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Universiade. (Wikipedia)

 

ICE SKATING

History
Ice skating has been believed to be started in Sweden over twelve-hundred years ago by the Vikings. The runners, made of bones, were ground down until they formed a flat gliding surface, and thongs tied them to the feet. The blades were polished oxen or reindeer bones. These weren't very efficient, so they used a long stick to push themselves forward and stay upright. Skates were originally used for transportation over the frozen rivers and later used for fun. Skating has been found to date back to 50 B.C. It was most common to skate where there are long, cold winters especially in places like Scandinavia.

 

19th-century fen skating

 

In the 17th century, canal racing on wooden skates with iron blades was popular in the Netherlands. Also in that century, James, the younger son of the British monarch Charles I, came to the Netherlands in exile, he fell for the sport. When he went back to England, this "new" sport was introduced to the British aristocracy. In the 18th century, ice skating became a world known sport and the Dutch created skates with longer blades.

 

SKIING

History
Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia, it may have been practiced more than 100 centuries ago in what is now China, according to an interpretation of ancient paintings.  The word "ski" is one of a handful of words that Norway has exported to the international community. It comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means "split piece of wood or firewood". 

 

Asymmetrical skis were used in northern Finland and Sweden until at least the late 19th century. On one foot, the skier wore a long straight non-arching ski for sliding, and a shorter ski was worn on the other foot for kicking. The underside of the short ski was either plain or covered with animal skin to aid this use, while the long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in a similar manner to modern ski waxing.  Early skiers used one long pole or spear. The first depiction of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. 

 

 

Troops on continental Europe were equipped with skis by 1747.  Skiing was primarily used for transport until the mid-19th century, but since then has also become a recreation and sport. Military ski races were held in Norway during the 18th century, and ski warfare was studied in the late 18th century. As equipment evolved and ski lifts were developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, two main genres of skiing emerged—Alpine (downhill) skiing and Nordic skiing. The main difference between the two is the type of ski binding (the way in which the ski boots are attached to the skis).

 

SNOWBOARDING

History
Modern snowboarding began in 1965 when Sherman Poppen, an engineer in Muskegon, Michigan, invented a toy for his daughters by fastening two skis together and attaching a rope to one end so he would have some control as they stood on the board and glided downhill. Dubbed the "snurfer" (combining snow and surfer) by his wife Nancy, the toy proved so popular among his daughters' friends that Poppen licensed the idea to a manufacturer, Brunswick Corporation, that sold about a million snurfers over the next decade. And, in 1966 alone, over half a million snurfers were sold. Later versions of the "snurfer" were flat planks of wood with a pointed bent upward tip with a rope connected to help keep control of the board and later models closer to the modern snowboard made up of various components.

 

 

In February 1968, Poppen organized the first snurfing competition at a Michigan ski resort that attracted enthusiasts from all over the country. One of those early pioneers was Tom Sims, a devotee of skateboarding (a sport born in the 1950s when kids attached roller skate wheels to small boards that they steered by shifting their weight). As an eighth grader in Haddonfield, New Jersey, in the 1960s, Sims crafted a snowboard in his school shop class by gluing carpet to the top of a piece of wood and attaching aluminum sheeting to the bottom. He produced commercial snowboards in the mid-70s. Articles about his invention in such mainstream magazines as Newsweek helped publicize the young sport.  The pioneers were not all from the United States; in 1976, Welsh skateboard enthusiasts Jon Roberts and Pete Matthews developed their own snowboards to use at their local dry ski slope.  (More on Snowboarding)

 

SLEIGHING

History

The people of Ancient Egypt are thought to have used sledges extensively in the construction of their public works, in particular for the transportation of heavy obelisks over sand. Sleds and sledges were found in the Oseberg "Viking" ship excavation. The sledge was also highly prized, because – unlike wheeled vehicles – it was exempt from tolls. Until the late 19th century, a closed winter sled, or vozok, provided a high-speed means of transport through the snow-covered plains of European Russia and Siberia. It was a means of transport preferred by royals, bishops, and boyars of Muscovy. Several royal vozoks of historical importance have been preserved in the Kremlin Armoury.

 

 

Man-hauled sledges were the traditional means of transport on British exploring expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Dog sleds were used by most others, such as Roald Amundsen.

 

BOBSLEIGHING

History

Although sledding on snow or ice had been popular in many northern countries, bobsleighing as a modern sport originated relatively recently. It developed from two crestas (skeleton sleds) attached together with a board and with a steering mechanism attached to the front cresta. The sport had humble beginnings, starting when the successful marketing of hotelier Caspar Badrutt (1848–1904) enticed English tourists were to stay over the winter in the mineral spa town of St. Moritz, Switzerland. Badrutt, annoyed with the limitations of a season of a mere four months for the rooms, food, alcohol and activities he provided, successfully "sold" the idea of "winter resorting" to some of his English regulars. In the 1870s some of his more adventurous English guests began adapting boys' delivery sleds for recreation and began colliding with pedestrians while speeding down the village's lanes, alleys and roads.

 

 

The name of the sport appeared when competitors adopted the technique of bobbing back and forth inside the sled to increase its speed. (More on Bobsleighing)

 

ICE HOCKEY

History

In England, field hockey has historically been called simply "hockey" and what was referenced by first appearances in print. The first known mention spelled as "hockey" occurred in the 1772 book Juvenile Sports and Pastimes, to Which Are Prefixed, Memoirs of the Author: Including a New Mode of Infant Education, by Richard Johnson (Pseud. Master Michel Angelo), whose chapter XI was titled "New Improvements on the Game of Hockey". The 1527 Statute of Galway banned a sport called "'hokie'—the hurling of a little ball with sticks or staves". A form of this word was thus being used in the 16th century, though much removed from its current usage.

 

The belief that hockey was mentioned in a 1363 proclamation by King Edward III of England is based on modern translations of the proclamation, which was originally in Latin and explicitly forbade the games "Pilam Manualem, Pedivam, & Bacularem: & ad Canibucam & Gallorum Pugnam". The English historian and biographer John Strype did not use the word "hockey" when he translated the proclamation in 1720, instead translating "Canibucam" as "Cambuck"; this may have referred to either an early form of hockey or a game more similar to golf or croquet.

 

 

According to the Austin Hockey Association, the word "puck" derives from the Scottish Gaelic puc or the Irish poc (to poke, punch or deliver a blow). "...The blow given by a hurler to the ball with his camán or hurley is always called a puck."

 

BANDY

History

The earliest origin of the sport is debated. Though many Russians see their old countrymen as the creators of the sport – reflected by the unofficial title for bandy, "Russian hockey" – Russia, England and Holland each had sports or pastimes which can be seen as forerunners of the present sport.
 

English bandy developed as a winter sport in the Fens of East Anglia. Large expanses of ice would form on the flooded meadows or shallow washes in cold winters, and skating has been a tradition. Members of the Bury Fen Bandy Club published rules of the game in 1882, and introduced it into other countries. The first international match took place in 1891 between Bury Fen and the then Haarlemsche Hockey & Bandy Club from the Netherlands (a club which after a couple of club fusions now is named HC Bloemendaal). The same year, the National Bandy Association was started in England.

 

An international bandy game between
Finland and Norway at the

2004 Women's World Championships in Lappeenranta

 

The match later dubbed "the original bandy match", was actually held in 1875 at The Crystal Palace in London. However, at the time, the game was called "hockey on the ice", probably as it was considered an ice variant of field hockey.

 

CURLING

History

Evidence that curling existed in Scotland in the early 16th century includes a curling stone inscribed with the date 1511 found (along with another bearing the date 1551) when an old pond was drained at Dunblane, Scotland. The world's oldest curling stone and the world's oldest football are now kept in the same museum (the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum) in Stirling. The first written reference to a contest using stones on ice coming from the records of Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire, in February 1541. Two paintings, "Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap" and "The Hunters in the Snow" (both dated 1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder depict Flemish peasants curling, albeit without brooms; Scotland and the Low Countries had strong trading and cultural links during this period, which is also evident in the history of golf.

 

Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap

(Bruegel, 1565)

 

SNOWMOBILING

History

In 1911 a 24 year old, Harold J. Kalenze (pronounced Collins), patented the Vehicle Propeller in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. In 1915 Ray H. Muscott of Waters, Michigan, received the Canadian patent for his motor sleigh, or "traineau automobile", and on June 27, 1916, he received the first United States patent for a snow-vehicle using the now recognized format of rear track(s) and front skis. Many individuals later modified Ford Model Ts with the undercarriage replaced by tracks and skis following this design. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time. The common name for these conversion of cars and small trucks was Snowflyers.

 

This is a late wood bodied Bombardier B-12 snow bus. Wood bodied Bombardiers

were built until approximately 1951 or perhaps 1952 when production switched to

metal bodies.

In 1935 Joseph Bombardier assembled and successfully tested the first snowmobile. It was a vehicle with a sprocket wheel and a track drive system, and it was steered by skis.  The challenges of cross-country transportation in the winter led to the invention of the snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle specifically designed for travel across deep snow where other vehicles foundered. During the 20th century, rapidly evolving designs produced machines that were two-person tracked vehicles powered by gas engines that enabled them to tow a sled or travel, initially at low-to-moderate speeds, depending on snow conditions, terrain and obstacles protruding above the snow like brush and trees. Where early designs had 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) two-stroke engines, there has been a move toward newer style two and four-stroke gasoline engines, some with over 200 hp (150 kW).

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Winter Sports  |  Encyclopedia - Winter Sports

Edited November 28, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - LEWIS CARROLL

DId you know... that Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English writer of children's fiction, notably Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass. He was noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About Lewis Carroll
BY SCOTT BEGGS  |  APRIL 5, 2018

 

Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the writer known as Lewis Carroll was a Renaissance man of the Victorian Era. He was an accomplished mathematician, poet, satirist, philosopher, inventor, and photographer in the art form’s earliest days. Yet most of us know him best as a children’s author because of Alice and her adventures through the nonsense and tea of Wonderland.

 

HE INVENTED A WAY TO WRITE IN THE DARK.

Nyctography

 

Like a lot of writers, Dodgson was frustrated by losing the excellent ideas that inconveniently come in the middle of the night, so in 1891 he invented the nyctograph. The device is a card with 16 square holes (two rows of eight) that offers a guide for the user to enter a shorthand code of dots and dashes. Dodgson also considered it useful for the blind.

 

HE SUFFERED FROM A STUTTER MOST OF HIS LIFE.
Dodgson had a rough childhood. Calling it his “hesitation,” he developed a stutter at an early age that stuck with him throughout adulthood and ultimately became part of his personal mythos—including the evidence-free claim that he only stuttered around adults, but spoke without problem to children. A childhood fever also left him deaf in one ear, and a bout of whooping cough at 17 weakened his chest for the rest of his life. Late in life, he developed debilitating, aura-hallucinating migraines and what doctors at the time diagnosed as epilepsy.

 

HE WAS THE DODO IN ALICE IN WONDERLAND.

Dodgson delivered the original story concept for Alice in Wonderland while on one of his boating trips with the Liddells—the children of his boss, Henry Liddell, the dean of Christ Church, Oxford—and he marked the July 4, 1862, event in the book itself as the Caucus Race. Alice is Alice Liddell, the Lory is Lorina Liddell, the Eaglet is Edith Liddell, the duck was colleague Reverend Robinson Duckworth, and the dodo was Dodgson himself. The popular story is that he used the bird as his caricature because his stammer made him sometimes introduce himself as “Do-Do-Dodgson,” but there’s no evidence to back up the claim.

 

DODGSON SPELLED OUT HIS INSPIRATION FOR ALICE IN THE LAST CHAPTER OF THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.
Throughout his life, Dodgson denied that Alice was based on any real-life person, but “A boat beneath a sunny sky,” the poem at the end of Through the Looking-Glass, is an acrostic that spells out Alice Pleasance Liddell.

 

HE WROTE 11 BOOKS ON MATHEMATICS.

A master logician, Dodgson's work in the fields of linear algebra, geometry, and puzzle-making is noteworthy. He wrote almost a dozen books that ranged from An Elementary Treatise on Determinants, With Their Application to Simultaneous Linear Equations and Algebraic Equations to The Game of Logic to The Theory of Committees and Elections. His interests and expertise widely varied; he also wrote the first printed proof of the Kronecker-Capelli theorem [PDF] and a conceptual system for better governmental representation.

 

THE ALICE STORIES ARE POSSIBLY SATIRES OF NON-EUCLIDEAN MATH.
As with several elements of his life, Dodgson was a conservative mathematician, living and working in an age in which the discipline was dramatically changing. In a 2010 op-ed for The New York Times, Melanie Bayley made a compelling case that Alice’s adventures parodied an incipient, conceptual math that featured imaginary numbers and quaternions, which Dodgson scoffed at. The Cheshire Cat may represent the growing abstraction in the field, and the overall absurdity of Wonderland may be meant to match the “absurdity” the conventional Dodgson saw emerging in his discipline.

 

ONE ABSURD PERSON THOUGHT DODGSON WAS JACK THE RIPPER.

The list of people suspected of being Jack the Ripper is a long one, and, for some reason, the mind behind Alice is on it. The Ripper and Dodgson were contemporaries; the murders took place in 1888, when Dodgson was in his mid-50s. Author Richard Wallace theorized that Dodgson, following a strict religious upbringing and potential bullying during his unhappy school years, grew up to become a serial murderer following his successful teaching and writing careers. The bulk of the theory stems from Wallace rearranging Dodgson’s writing into “confessions.” While Dodgson did bury codes and clues in his books, scrambling random paragraphs into syntactically awkward statements about killing is more than a stretch.

 

HE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED PHOTOGRAPHER.

Beginning in his mid-20s and continuing for over two decades, Dodgson created over 3000 photographic images, including portraits of friends and notable figures (like Alfred, Lord Tennyson), landscapes, and stills of skeletons, dolls, statues, paintings, and more. According to Lewis Carroll: A Biography, Morton N. Cohen’s biography of the artist, Dodgson had his own studio and briefly considered making a living as a photographer in the 1850s.

 

HE WAS A LIFELONG BACHELOR, WHICH HAS LED TO SOME SPECULATION ABOUT HIS ROMANTIC INTERESTS.

Dodgson’s photography has also been at the center of a modern reconsideration of Dodgson’s sexuality. The author was a lifelong bachelor whose surviving photographic work is 50 percent comprised of depictions of young girls, including Alice Liddell, as well as several prints where the girls are nude. The most famous of these is a portrait of one Oxford colleague’s daughter, Beatrice Hatch. Not much is directly known about Dodgson’s personal relationships, which has led to speculation—notably by Cohen—that he had romantic feelings for the 11-year-old Alice, but author Karoline Leach suggested that the reframing of Dodgson as a pedophile is a myth born from ignorance of Victorian morals and the popularity at the time of nude children in art combined with Dodgson’s family burying information about the writer’s relationships with adult women.

 

HE BECAME A DEACON, BUT NEVER A PRIEST.

So much of Dodgson’s life invites speculation, including his refusal to become a priest, counter to the rules of Christ Church during his residency there. He was ordained as a deacon on December 22, 1861 but had to petition Dean Liddell to avoid becoming a priest. Once again, his stammer appears to be one possible explanation as to why he refused priesthood, but there’s no evidence that it might have impeded his ability to preach. Other possible reasons include a love of theater (which the Bishop of Oxford spoke out against), tepid interest in the Anglican Church, and a growing interest in alternative religions.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Lewis Carroll  |  Facts About Lewis Carroll

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Did you know.... that A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. (Wikipedia)

 

What You Might Not Know About ‘A Christmas Carol’
By Amy Brady  •  December 20, 2016

 

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular and beloved holiday tales of all time. But the history surrounding it isn’t nearly as well known. To celebrate the season, we’ve compiled some interesting facts that you may not know about A Christmas Carol.

 

Check out the list below!

 

Charles Dickens wrote it in just six weeks.

 

Dickens began writing A Christmas Carol in October 1843 and finished it in under two months — just in time for the holidays. The quick turnaround took its toll on the author, though, and he reportedly “broke out like a madman” upon finishing the story.

 

The story is based on a character from another Dickens classic, The Pickwick Papers.

 

In “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,” which appears in The Pickwick Papers, a gravedigger named Gabriel Grubb is determined to have a miserable Christmas. But some goblins kidnap him and convince him otherwise.

 

Only one review of A Christmas Carol was printed around its publication.

 

The Knickerbocker reviewed the story in 1844, writing, “We have in conclusion but three words to say to every reader of The Knickerbocker who may peruse our notice of this production: Read the Work.”

 

A library pirated the story, and Dickens sued.

 

Parley’s Illuminated Library illegally reprinted the book two months after its release. Dickens won the case, but still had to pay £700 in fees. Today, that would be over £60,000.

 

Weeks after its publication, the book was developed into a play.

 

Adapted by Edward Stirling, the theatrical version played for 40 nights in London before traveling to New York City.

 

Dickens gave several public readings of A Christmas Carol.

 

According to reports, Dickens drank rum mixed with cream, a half bottle of champagne, and a glass of sherry leading up to his performances. Regardless, audiences loved them, and one critic wrote that attendees “fell into a kind of trance, as a universal feeling of joy seemed to invade the whole assembly.”

 

During his last public reading of A Christmas Carol, Dickens predicted his own death.

 

In March 1870, Dickens said to the audience, “From these garish lights, I vanish now for evermore, with a heartfelt, grateful, respectful, and affectionate farewell.” He died three months later.

 

A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular books of all time and has been adapted for decades.

The book has been adapted for the screen more than 20 times, including a 1901 version that’s only six minutes long!

 

Source:  Wikipedia - A Christmas Carol  |  Facts about A Christmas Carol

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BIRTH FLOWERS

 

Did you know... that each month has a flower that symbolizes the month of somebody's birth? The characteristics that the flower has may be "inherited" by whoever is born in that certain month person. Every month has a flower that is sometimes referred to as a Birth Month Flower. In a cultural sense, flower characteristics such as appearance, color, and scent, have relevance as gifts. It is believed that the Romans started celebrating birth and birthdays using flowers. Seasonal flowers were used not just as decoration, but also as gifts and, therefore, can probably be credited with the tradition of birth flowers. Some have been inspired by this tradition to create lists that associate a birthday flower with each of the days in a year. (Wikipedia)

 

Do You Know Your Birth Month Flower?

DENISE HANDLON  |  AUG 1, 2013

 

Many people follow their birth month’s gemstone and assigned flower. How each month came to receive a particular flower is probably based on the natural growing period of that flower during a particular season and thus, its availability. For instance, one of the (four) flowers that are associated with the month of December is the Poinsettias. The Poinsettia has long been associated with Christmas, a Christian holy day of celebrating the birth of Christ, which falls in December.

 

January - Carnation.

The carnation has a number of different meanings depending on its color. It is a long lasting flower often placed in men’s lapels. The hardy carnation is frequently chosen for proms and weddings. Worn on Mother's Day, Teacher's Day, St. Patrick's Day (in green) and at weddings, this hardy, sweetly fragrant flower is also the flower of Ohio.  In the north of the northern hemisphere, January is a cold and gloomy month, but in non-frozen areas, many flowers will bloom in the cool weather, and carnation is one of them. The flower associated with the month is Carnation and is said to symbolise love, fascination and distinction. Carnation, which is also commonly called Gillyflower, is found in a number of colors from pink to red-purple. The pink carnation means gratitude.

 

February - Iris or Violet.

It is interesting that both of these flowers are purple. Since the amethyst is February’s birthstone one can make an assumption that this was an intentional selection based on color. The iris represents inspiration, while violets symbolize faithfulness.  Faithfulness, wisdom and hope. Violets convey the meaning that you will always be true. Violets come in shades not only of purple, which is what people commonly think of, but also of white.  This month is associated with St. Valentine’s Day and red roses. However, the flower for the month is Violet. The flower symbolises faithfulness, humility and chastity. Gifting violets in the Victorian era conveyed the message 'I’ll always be true’. The flower is found in shades of blue, mauve as well as yellow and cream. One must remember that an older English name for the plant is "heartease."

 

March - Daffodil.

Oh, the bright, joyous color of the brave daffodil-one of the first flowers to poke its head out of the cold ground on the cusp of spring. The daffodil means chivalry. William Wordsworth was so taken by the sunny daffodil during one of his walks with his sister that he penned a poem honoring it. Wordsworth's poem: I wandered lonely as a cloud, is more commonly known as, ‘The Daffodils’. Here is the first stanza:

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils.

 

Spring, rebirth, domestic happiness, respect, love, and friendship. The daffodil is synonymous with spring as it is the epitome of rebirth and new beginnings.  This month is synonymous with the onset of spring (in the Northern Hemisphere). Accordingly, the flower associated with this month is Daffodil also known as Jonquil or Narcissus. The colours of the bloom include white, yellow, pink, blue and orange. A gift of these flowers conveys the hidden meaning of friendship and happiness.

 

April - Daisy or Peony.

At a very young I've been attracted to the daisy. This hardy wildflower grows along roadsides and abundantly in meadows, as well as being a perfect summer flower to grow in the garden. It’s layers of white, surrounding the soft, golden center, has been a favorite of mine for years. Do you remember this rhyme: ‘He loves me, he loves me not’ as petals were plucked from their center? With the last petal standing alone one was supposed to have the answer to her lover’s true intentions. Daisies portray innocence or purity, and the peony is the symbol of healing.  Regard, youth, purity. The daisy conveys innocence and there are five common types.  This month is associated with Sweet pea flower which bloom in a wide range of soft colors as well as two tone colors. It is said to symbolize pleasure or good-bye. In the Victorian era, these flowers formed a part of the bouquet which was sent to someone to convey gratefulness.

 

May - Lily or Lily of the Valley.

Both of these flowers have an aromatic smell that fills the air. Wherever this delicate Lily-of-the-Valley grows the air is filled with a sweet, light fragrance. Lily-of-the-Valley has tiny, bell shaped flowers that hang from a thin stem. When the wind blows one can image a soft, tinkling sound emitted from the white flower. There are over 100 types of lilies and many have their own meaning. My daughter Cara carried Calla Lilies down the aisle in her wedding. The Calla Lily symbolizes regality. Love and appreciation, while other meanings depends on each color. The meanings of Lily of the valley can vary from love, passion, beauty and perfection. The meaning depends upon the color.  The month of May is associated with the Lily of the valley flower. It is generally white in colour. The flower conveys sweetness and humility. In the Victorian era, it was given to convey the romantic message ‘you have made my life complete’.

 

June - Rose.

Thirty-five million years old, the rose has a rich history. Used in love and war, politics and romance, the rose has been named in movies such as The War of the Roses, the 1989 black comedy directed by Danny Devito and starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. It is also used in sports: The Rose Bowl Game, an American College football game held in Pasadena, California each January. A red rose indicates passionate love.  Love, gratitude, appreciation.  Rose is the flower of this month. Though roses are available in many colors from red to pink to white to yellow, all with their own special meanings, the underlying message the flowers convey is that of love and passion.

 

July - Delphinium.

The common name for this perennial is the larkspur and it is part of the buttercup family. Color ranges from blue and purple, to white, red and yellow. They grow on spiked stems and require lots of sunlight to flourish. Native Americans used this flower to make blue dye. Delphinium means 'big heartedness' and it is associated with lightness and joy. Levity and lightness. Its natural beauty comes in gentle hues with refreshing fragrance. There are different meanings for each color. Pink denotes contrariness, white expresses a happy nature, and a first love is usually symbolized by purple. Strong bonds of love are represented by the larkspur. Larkspur is the flower for July. With its simple form, feelings of open heart and ardent attachment are attributed to it.

 

August - Dahlia and Gladiolus.

Dahlia means dignity or elegance, and it is said that it represents the eternal bond between two people. One of my favorite flowers is the gladiola. The funnel shaped flower comes in a variety of colors that adorn the length of its tall stem. Strength of character, moral integrity, remembrance, infatuation, honor. This long-lasting flower comes in a variety of colors like pink, red, purple, yellow, orange, white and green. The flower for this month is the Gladiolus. It blooms in a variety of colours like red, pink, white, yellow and orange. It stands for sincerity and symbolises strength of character.

 

September - Aster and Forget-Me-Not. 

The Aster means contentment and, of course, the Forget-Me-Not means just what its name suggests. The Forget-Me-Not is the state flower of Alaska and, having once been a resident of Alaska, it is a very appropriate choice. Whatever one’s own experience is in that ‘Last Frontier’ state, it is not one easily forgotten.  Patience, daintiness and remembrance. This flower conveys deep emotional love and affection. Aster or September flower is the flower for this month. It is found in a number of colours – pink, red, white, lilac and mauve. The name of the flower which looks like a star is derived from the Greek word for star. The flower symbolises love, faith, wisdom and colour.

 

October - Calendula. 

The bright yellow and orange Marigold is the Calendula, a member of the daisy family. This autumn flower was selected for October, (think Halloween’s bright yellow and orange colors), because it follows the path of the sun. During the Victorian era the message of the marigold was, “My thoughts are with you.” Calendula means winning grace. Warm, fierce. They exemplify elegance and devotion. Marigold or Calendula is the flower associated with October. For the Hindus, the month of October is associated with festivals like Dussehra and Diwali and Marigold, although a relatively recent introduced flower from the New World, has come to be an auspicious flower is part of religious ceremonies. However, in the English culture, marigold stands for sorrow and sympathy, perhaps derivative of its original symbolic association with death in the traditions of Mexico, as in the Day of the Dead, parallel to the Lily in Europe.

 

November - Chrysanthemum. 

This large headed flower comes in a variety of colors and styles. It is a perfect fall flower because the colors match the changing leaves: mauve, yellow, and orange, to name a few. The chrysanthemum originated in China where it has been cultivated for over 2,500 years. It was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks and became the official flower of that Asian country. Each year the ‘mum’ is celebrated in the ‘Festival of Happiness’ honoring this cheery flower. In 1789, the chrysanthemum came to England and found its way to the United States in the 19th century. Today, the chrysanthemum is Chicago, Illinois’s official city flower. In Victorian times the hidden meaning was: “you’re a wonderful friend.” Chrysanthemum means with love and cheerfulness. Compassion, friendship, joy. Chrysanthemums have different meanings. Red is for love, white means innocence, and yellow denotes unrequited love.  Chrysanthemum, which stands for cheerfulness and love, is associated with the month of November. According to Feng Shui, Chrysanthemums bring happiness and laughter in the house.

 

December - Holly, or Narcissus, or Paperwhite, or Poinsettia.

Why December has so many birth flowers is unknown, however, for the sake of simplicity I’ve chosen to describe the poinsettia. This plant is a native of Mexico and Central America.  A Mexican legend tells the story of how the poinsettia came to appear. During the Christmas season a poor, peasant boy wanted to bring to the church manger a gift for Baby Jesus. Since he had nothing, he stopped along the road and gathered a handful of weeds and hoped it would be accepted. When the boy entered the church his love for Christ had miraculously transformed the weeds into beautiful red and green stems of beauty. Today the poinsettia means celebration, reassurance and good cheer.  Good cheer, success. The poinsettia comes in three colors: red, white, and pink. “You Are The Special One” is the message this flower sends for you.  Poinsettia. These flowers are typically associated with Christmas. While considered by the ancient Aztecs to be symbols of purity, in today's language of flowers, red, white or pink poinsettias, the December birth flower, symbolize good cheer and success and are said to bring wishes of mirth and celebration.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Birth Flower  |  Facts About Birth Flowers

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - DOWN SYNDROME

Illustration of the facial

features of Down syndrome.

 

Did you know... that Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and characteristic facial features. The average IQ of a young adult with Down syndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental ability of an 8- or 9-year-old child, but this can vary widely. (Wikipedia)

 

Down syndrome is a genetic condition, and as such, many Down syndrome facts can help us understand about genes and the way they work in our bodies. Interesting Down syndrome facts are a great way to teach kids about genetics.  When we teach kids Down syndrome facts, we can also help them to be more sensitive to their peers who have this condition. One of the Down syndrome facts is that this condition poses a challenge to the people who have it and the families that support them.

 

People with Down Syndrome Have 47 Chromosomes

Down syndrome is a genetic condition. This means that the symptoms and behaviors associated with Down syndrome are the result of differences between the genes of a person who has Down syndrome, and one who doesn’t.  Genes control our development and the functions of our cells. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the chemical in our body that creates our genes. Our genes are organized in pairs called chromosomes. These chromosomes contain the instructions for our cells to grow, take in nutrients, expel waste and replicate.

 

Babies are typically born with 23 pairs of chromosomes, giving a total of 46 chromosomes. One of the most well-known Down syndrome facts is that children born with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of their chromosomes. Therefore, they have 47 chromosomes instead of 46.

 

You might think that having an extra set of instructions would be a good thing. Unfortunately, this is not the case with Down syndrome. The extra copy of instructions causes the genetic program of the body to change, and this affects the person who has Down syndrome.

 

Trisomy 21 is the Technical Name for Down Syndrome

Primary Down syndrome is caused by the

presence of three copies of chromosome 21.
(a) A child who has Down syndrome.

(b) Idiogram of a person who has primary Down syndrome.

 

The technical name or medical term for Down syndrome is Trisomy 21. In medicine, the term for having an extra chromosome is trisomy. One of the established Down syndrome facts is that people with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, and so the condition is officially known as Trisomy 21.

 

Mosaic Down Syndrome Affect 2-3% of People with Down Syndrome

 An illustration of the overlap of the IQ measures

for children with Mosaic and standard Down syndrome.

Children with either diagnosis may be represented in

the shaded area.

 

One of the surprising Down syndrome facts is that Down syndrome can be classified as any one of three specific genetic conditions. Trisomy 21, Translocation Down syndrome, and Mosaic Down syndrome are the three major types of Down syndrome. The majority of people with Down syndrome have standard Trisomy 21. This means they have three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the typical two copies. Ninety-five percent of all people with Down syndrome have this type of Down syndrome.

 

Translocation Down syndrome accounts for somewhere between 2-3% of cases. This type of Down syndrome is when an extra part of chromosome 21, or an entire extra chromosome 21, is attached to another chromosome. When a chromosome moves and attaches to another chromosome, this is called translocation.

 

Mosaic Down syndrome also affects around 2-3% of people who have Down syndrome. In these cases, there may be cells with only two copies of chromosome 21, while other cells have the three copies associated with Down syndrome.

 

When trying to understand what happens when chromosomes are out of sequence, it may be helpful to think of the table of contents in a book being torn out and rearranged out of order. The symptoms that result from Down syndrome are the result of the human body trying to cope with genetic instructions and references that are out of sequence.

 

Each of the three types of Down syndrome can result in different symptoms for the person with the condition. Children with Mosaic Down syndrome may not show all the typical features of the disease, due to some of their cells having the usual number of chromosomes.

 

Down Syndrome Causes Errors in Skin and Bone Cells You Can See

 

One of the Down syndrome facts is that people with Down syndrome have noticeable features of the condition. This is another reason that we should teach Down syndrome facts to kids. Kids can see when their peers appear different in some way. Instead of trying to avoid the issue, we should educate our children with Down syndrome facts.  Chromosomes control the cells that form our skin, bones and other parts of our body. For people with Down syndrome, these cells have “errors” in their chromosomes. These “errors” have an impact on the way the skin, bones, eyes and other parts of the body are formed.

 

People with Down syndrome may have a flattened face, a short neck and a tongue that hangs out of their mouth. They may also have some features that are noticeably smaller than in people without Down syndrome. For example, they may have small hands, small feet and small ears. The eyes of people with Down syndrome are often almond-shaped and slant upward. The irises of the eyes also tend to have white spots.

 

People with Down syndrome are also often shorter than other children and adults of the same age.

 

50% of Children Born With Down Syndrome Have a Heart Defect
Some of the surprising Down syndrome facts relate to the symptoms of Down syndrome that aren’t immediately obvious. When we interact with someone with Down syndrome, we may notice that they are slower to speak, and that they may have difficulty forming complex words and sentences. Difficulty communicating is one of the cruel Down syndrome facts as this apparent slowness is often the reason why people with Down syndrome are ridiculed. Many people with Down syndrome live relatively normal lives. They work, have friends, and have many of the same life experiences as those without the condition.

 

There are additional medical symptoms that aren’t immediately obvious when you meet someone with Down syndrome. These are some of the saddest Down syndrome facts. The “out of sequence” instructions in the cells of someone with Down syndrome also impact the development of their internal organs. For instance, half of all children born with Down syndrome have a heart defect.  People with Down syndrome also often experience hearing loss, and are more prone to ear infections. They also have trouble with their eyes. More than half of people with Down syndrome have some form of eye disease, such as cataracts. Part of the perceived slowness of people with Down syndrome may actually be due to the fact that they are not able to take in all the information in their environment due to problems with hearing and vision.

 

The Mother’s Egg is the Source of Down Syndrome in 90% of Cases
There are certain factors that make it more likely for a child to be born with Down syndrome. One of the well-known Down syndrome facts is that women who are older than 35 years old are more likely to give birth to a child with Down syndrome. While the age of the mother is a factor in the occurrence of Down syndrome, the exact cause of the condition is unknown. It is known that Down syndrome is present at the time of conception, or in the early development of the human embryo. One of the little-known Down syndrome facts is that the mother’s egg is the source of the extra chromosome in 90% of the cases. In 4% of the cases, the father’s sperm is the cause and, in the remaining cases, the error occurs during the embryo’s growth.

 

Down Syndrome Can Be Detected During Pregnancy with Special Tests

One of the positive Down syndrome facts is that doctors have gotten better at diagnosing the condition. There are a number of ways to test for Down syndrome during pregnancy. Some of these tests are screening tests that tell a woman whether or not her baby is at risk for Down syndrome.

 

When there is a high risk of Down syndrome, a diagnostic test will be performed that can confirm whether or not the baby has Down syndrome. These tests include testing for DNA fragments from the baby in the mother’s blood, testing the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb, and testing the material in the placenta.  After birth, a doctor examines the baby for any visible signs of Down syndrome. At this time, a blood test can be taken directly from the baby. This test will reveal whether or not the extra chromosome 21 is present. Early diagnosis can help prepare parents and family members to deal with the challenges of Down syndrome.

 

People With Down Syndrome Can Live By Themselves

People with Down syndrome are people like you and me. One of the most inspiring Down syndrome facts is that people with Down syndrome can live relatively normal lives, despite the challenges presented by their condition. Some people with Down syndrome live by themselves and work in regular jobs. Being part of society is important for all people, especially those who face challenges. By supporting people with Down syndrome as productive members of society, we can teach our kids a valuable lesson about the importance of treating all people equally.

 

People with Down Syndrome Only Live to Be 50 to 60 Years Old

It’s one of the sad facts of Down syndrome that people with the condition live shorter lives than people who do not have the condition. The average person with Down syndrome can expect to live 50 to 60 years with good health care. This shorter life span is due to the many health problems that occur as symptoms of Down syndrome. The large numbers of people with Down syndrome who have heart defects often have the shortest life span.

 

Down Syndrome Advocacy Groups Emerged in the 1950’s and 1960’s

Down syndrome is named after John Langdon Down who described the condition in 1866. Some people say Down’s syndrome, which is also an acceptable way to refer to the condition in general reference. In most medical contexts, the condition is called Down syndrome or Trisomy 21.

 

In the early 1900s, many people with Down syndrome were forced to live in group homes or care facilities. These facilities were often mental institutions where people with Down syndrome were forced to live with people who were psychotic or otherwise mentally ill.

The best Down syndrome facts have occurred in the last 100 years. In the 1950s and 1960s, some groups emerged that began to advocate for the fair treatment of people with Down syndrome. They sought to support the families of people with Down syndrome and to better educate the public on the condition.

 

Learning about new Down syndrome facts continues to this day. The more we understand, the better able we are to support people who have Down syndrome so they may live their lives as fully as possible.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Down Syndrome  |  Down Syndrome Facts

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHRISTMAS CAROLS

Did you know... that everyone has a favorite Christmas carol. It may be a song from your favorite Christmas movie. Maybe it is one you sang in church every year growing up. Or it might be a carol that reminds you of Christmas Eve at your grandmother’s house. Christmas caroling has taken place for thousands of years. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without carols. Whether you are a fan of Christmas carols being played as soon as the calendar turns to November 1st, or if you prefer to wait for your Christmas caroling until after Thanksgiving has passed, here are some fun things about Christmas caroling to put you in the holiday spirit.

 

FUN FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS CAROLS TO PUT YOU IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
By Michelle Frick |  December 19, 2019

 

THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS CAROLING
The idea of Christmas caroling originated from songs that were sung during pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually taking place around December 21st or 22nd. Early Christians took over the pagan winter solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of the pagan songs. These early carols were not exactly the Christmas carols we sing today though. They were all written and sung in Latin. One of the earliest versions of a Christmas carol is a song called “Hymn of the Angels” or “Gloria in Excelsis.” 

 

 

Things started to change when St. Francis of Assisi started to put on nativity plays in Italy around 1223. Typically, the story would be told through songs. Sometimes the carols were in Latin, but normally they were in a language native to the people watching the play. These new “carols” spread across Europe. 

 

Christmas caroling became more widespread when the first English carols emerged in the early 1400s. John Audelay, an English priest and poet, was a significant contributor to the history of Christmas carols when he composed at least 25 hymns in English that he and a group of carolers sang from house to house. Most of Audelay’ songs were about repenting rather than holiday cheer.

 

For the next 200 years, Christmas caroling remained a tradition in and around England until Puritans took over and outlawed public Christmas caroling for about 20 years in the early 1600s (They actually banned the celebration of Christmas altogether!). The tradition of Christmas caroling survived this time because people continued to sing them, just in secret. As soon as the Puritans were out of power, everyone came out of hiding to celebrate Christmas with feasts and singing Christmas carols again. 

 

 

It was not until the 1800s though that Christmas caroling in public really became popular. Two men – William Sandys and Davies Gilbert – began collecting old seasonal music from villages all over England. Gilbert published two small collections of carols while Sandys published a collection of over 100 Christmas carols from different times and places. A few of the old Christmas carols that are still sung today, and that you have likely heard and know, include “We Saw Three Ships” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Thanks to Sandys, Christmas caroling became wildly popular. It is probably him that we should thank for having so many festive, happy Christmas carols today. 

 

POPULAR CHRISTMAS CAROLS
It is hard to rank Christmas carols. Everyone has a favorite. Here are a few tidbits about some of the most popular Christmas carols. 

• White Christmas

Sung by Bing Crosby, “White Christmas” is one of the most popular Christmas carols ever written. The song was actually written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 movie “Holiday Inn” starring Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds. It won the Academy Award for Best Song of the Year that year. It was not until 1954 that it became the title song in the movie “White Christmas.” Bing Crosby’s recording of the song has been named the best-selling single of all time by Guinness World Records, as it has sold more than 100 million copies around the world. “White Christmas” is also the most recorded Christmas song of all time with over 500 different recordings to date.

 

 

• The Christmas Song

Many people refer to this song as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” This Christmas carol was made famous with Nat King Cole’s 1946 recording. It is so popular, that it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974. A fun fact about The Christmas Song is that it was written by writing partners Bob Wells and Mel Tormé in about 45 minutes on a swelteringly hot day in the summer of 1945. Wells started writing it to try to take his mind off the heat!
 

• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Judy Garland sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” for the 1944 movie “Meet Me In St. Louis.” In 2004, this Christmas carol was ranked number 76 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Songs list. It was also on the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers’ most performed songs during the Christmas season, ranking number three. 

 

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  

Based on the children’s story of the same name from 1939, songwriter Johnny Marks wrote “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in 1949. Gene Autry (also known for his version of “Frosty the Snowman”) was the first to record this Christmas carol. The song went all the way to number one on U.S. music charts. The song also spawned that 1964 iconic stop motion TV special from Rankin/Bass Productions – what’s Christmas without watching Rudolph save Christmas Eve?

 

 

• Santa Baby  

Eartha Kitt first sang this cheeky Christmas carol in 1953 and it may be one of her most well-known songs. She was known to have said that “Santa Baby” was one of her favorite songs to record. With over 500,000 copies sold, making it a certified Gold Record, “Santa Baby” is officially one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. 

 

• Feliz Navidad

Although Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano recorded “Feliz Navidad” in 1970, this Christmas carol did not make it onto the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 until 1998! Today it is one of the most popular Christmas songs on the radio, making it into the top 10 of Billboard' Holiday 100 every year. The singer was initially going to record the song with only Spanish lyrics but decided to include English lyrics as well to make sure American radio stations would play the song. 
 

• All I Want for Christmas Is You

It is the song you hear everywhere during the holiday season. Released in 1994, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been the go-to Christmas song for the last 25 years. It became an instant hit spending 30 weeks on the U.S. Holiday 100 and peaking at number one. The song is so popular that it reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015, 21 years after it was first released.

 

 

Whether you play “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on repeat as soon as you finish trick-or-treating or you prefer to wait until after the Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing to add Christmas Radio to your Pandora stations, Christmas carols put everyone in the holiday spirit. They remind us of our childhood and of our favorite Christmas movies. This year on the shortest day of the year, sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to your heart’s content and remember that we have the winter solstice to thank for all these Christmas carols. 

 

Source: Fun Facts About Christmas Carols

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - DRILL MONKEYS

 

Did you know... that the drill is a primate of the family Cercopithecidae, related to baboons and even more closely to mandrills. (Wikipedia)

 

Bet You’ve Never Heard of This Shy, Colorful Monkey
Drill monkeys share a colorful feature with their cousin the mandrill.

BY LIZ LANGLEY

 

 

EVER MEET SOMEONE so charismatic you wonder: why aren’t you famous?

That’s how I feel about the drill monkey. I just "discovered" them, prompting this Weird Animal Question of the Week: So, what’s the drill? And where has this monkey been all our lives?

 

Show Your Colors
Drills are shy, live in only one small, remote area of Africa, and their faces aren’t as colorful as their cousin the mandrill, whose blue-and-red mugs make them instantly recognizable. Because of that, mandrills may have been historically more likely to be displayed in zoos, making them more well known to the general public, says Kathy Wood of Tengwood Organization, a primate conservation group with a focus on drills.

 

But drills are no slackers in the drama department.

 

Drills have pitch-black faces surrounded with white fringe, which look massive in males because of fatty cheek pads that mandrills don't have, says New York University anthropologist James Higham via email. This striking contrast is finished off by a slash of red under their lower lip that looks like strangely placed lipstick.

 

Still, they save the best for the end—the rear end—which is as colorful as an Easter basket.

 

A male drill monkey’s colorful rump is a sign of his rank.

 

"The genitals of males are red and lilac,” Higham says. “On their rump there is a rainbow of lilacs, blues, and purples, similar to that seen in mandrills.” (Read "Some Monkeys Have Blue Testicles—Here’s Why.")

 

In a 2009 study, Higham and his colleagues showed that these colors were a sign of rank in males, with the brightest males having the highest rank.

 

Females are a far more subdued dusky brown color and about a third of the size of males.

Female with infant at Tierpark Hellabrunn

in Munich, Germany.

 

There’s a lot of visual communication in the large social groups that drills live in, says Patti Frazier, primate keeper at Zoo Atlanta, which has six drills, including “the displaying of teeth, as if they were smiling, usually accompanied with their head swaying back and forth.”

 

Wood calls this an “appeasement grin,” and drills and mandrills use it in both calm and tense situations. Males also grin and smack their lips at females that are potential mates.

 

Drill monkeys make 'appeasement' faces when greeting each other to keep the peace.

 

Drills and mandrills are large monkeys, weighing as much as 75 pounds—about the weight of a large golden retriever. Powerful physiques and two-inch canine teeth make the males look fierce, Frazier says, but, “in reality, drills are shy animals,” living in densely forested areas. And their patch of Earth isn’t very big.

 

Drills “are found only in a small part of Africa, in Cameroon and Nigeria between the Sanaga and Cross Rivers, and on the island of Bioko, part of Equatorial Guinea,” says Higham, and studying them in their remote environment is difficult.

 

Drill monkeys are close relatives of the mandrill, a better known species

sometimes seen in zoos.

 

Hello, Goodbye?
Their low numbers are another reason they’re not well known.

 

“Drills are, sadly, endangered,” Higham says, and “census estimates suggest there may be only a few thousand left in the wild.” Overhunting and habitat loss are the drill’s two biggest pressures, and a 2012 study in the journal Ecology and Evolution suggested that global warming trends could be harmful as well.

 

In The Mandrill: A Case of Extreme Sexual Selection, Alan Dixson, a biologist at the University of Victoria, says conservation in Cameroon will be important to the future of the drills.

 

Hopefully they’ll be around a long time. It’s good to get to know another member of the family.

Source: Wikipedia - Drill (animal)  |  Drill Monkey Facts

[DarkRavie]

Saturday's Fact of the Day - KILLER WHALES

Transient killer whales near Unimak Island,

eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

 

Did you know... that the killer whale, also known as an orca, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. (Wikipedia)

 

Surprising Facts About Orcas
By Jaymi Heimbuch  |  Updated November 06, 2020

 

 

The orca is one of the most ferocious animals out there. Easily identified because of its black and white pattern, it is often used as playful marine imagery. However, orcas are not as innocent as these images make them appear; they are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain. These social animals are known for a lot of things, from their appearance to their social practice of traveling in pods. There's more to these exciting creatures though, so here are eight lesser-known facts about orcas.

 

1. Orcas Aren't Whales
Orcas are often called killer whales — they certainly have the size to be listed among those massive creatures. However, orcas are not actually whales; they are dolphins (and the largest species of dolphin, at that). Taxonomically, they fall into the Delphinidae family, which are oceanic dolphins.

 

It is theorized that the misnomer was originated by sailors who saw orcas' ferocious hunting of large marine animals and dubbed them "whale killers."  Then, the term somehow got flipped around over time.

 

2. They Have Evolved Based on Culture
Research conducted by Andrew Foote, a killer whale genetics expert, found that orcas and humans share an ability for culture-based evolution. In a 2016 study, Foote and a team of researchers analyzed the genes of different orca pods and discovered that distinctions in genes coincided with distinctions in culture, such as group social behaviors.

 

One of the most apparent examples of this was in the orcas' hunting behavior — different groups will hunt different types of prey using different techniques. Eventually, those distinctions result in differences in genomes, meaning cultural groups become genetically distinct. Before this discovery, humans were the only known animals to evolve based on culture.

 

3. They Go Through Menopause

 

Almost all members of the animal kingdom maintain the ability to reproduce until their deaths. Five species are exceptions to this, including the orca.

 

Why would a species evolve to stop producing mid-life? For the orca, it has to do with their social practice of staying in pods. Because both sons and daughters remain in the pod throughout adulthood, older females are increasingly related to everyone in the pod. Sharing genes with so many pod members is a good reason to stop breeding and instead focus on supporting the pod by guiding and teaching the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

 

4. Orca Clans Speak Different Languages

 

Orcas stick to family groups called pods, which together form larger societal groups called clans. One of the ways clans — and even individual pods — are distinct from others is their language.  Clans "speak" completely different languages. These large groups coming together would be like trying to have a conversation between an English speaker, a Russian speaker, and a Chinese speaker.  While the pods that make up each clan all speak the same language, they each have a distinct "dialect."  It's much like how English speakers in the United States have Southern, New England, and Midwestern accents.

 

5. They Are the Second-Most Widespread Animal in the World
After humans, orcas are the most widespread mammal in the animal kingdom. The species ranges from the Arctic to the Antarctic and can be found everywhere, from the freezing waters of the north and south to the warm waters along the equator, including the Hawaiian Islands, Galapagos Islands, and the Gulf of California.

 

Not only have orcas been seen in all of the world's oceans, but they have also been spotted in freshwater rivers. One even swam more than 100 miles up the Columbia River in Oregon as it hunted fish.

 

6. Orcas Cannot Smell

 

 

The absence of this smelling system is present in all dolphins and most toothed whales, so orcas are not alone in this deficiency.

 

7. They Have Big Brains
Orcas have the second-largest brains of any marine mammal, second only to sperm whales. They can weigh as much as 15 pounds.

 

Scientists use brain size — specifically the ratio between brain weight and body weight — to roughly measure intelligence. By that measure, the orca's brain size is 2.5 times larger than the average of other animals. However, because of orcas' impressive social, language, and echolocation abilities, it is believed that their intelligence far surpasses what their brain size suggests.

 

8. Orcas Scare White Sharks

 

When orcas and white sharks confront one another, it is the white shark that flees. Research conducted at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California followed a group of white sharks for several months. These sharks always fed in the same place, but when two pods of orcas arrived, the sharks fled and did not return for months.

 

It is possible that orcas are targeting white sharks. Another theory is simply that orcas bully white sharks away from prey in the area. Either way, even if orcas are just passing through, white sharks will not return to a location for up to a year.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Killer Whale  |  Surprising Facts about Orcas

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - THE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIaNS

Did you know... that The Hundred and One Dalmatians is a 1956 children's novel by Dodie Smith about the kidnapping of a family of Dalmatian puppies. It was originally serialized in Woman's Day as The Great Dog Robbery. A 1967 sequel, The Starlight Barking, continues from the end of the novel. (Wikipedia)

 

WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT 101 DALMATIANS

Disney’s adorable, pup-filled feature film, 101 Dalmatians officially turns 55 today, and we couldn’t be more excited. In celebration of the milestone anniversary, we’ve compiled a list of surprising facts about the film. Enjoy!

 

1. There are 6,469,952 spots in the film.

After counting all of the spots in the film, frame by frame, it was determined that there are exactly 6,469,952 of them in the movie. While 72 belong to Pongo, and 68 to Perdita, the rest belong to the puppies. They each have 32.

 

2. The story is based on Dodie Smith’s own experience.

Pongo

 

Dodie Smith, the author who wrote the book that inspired the film, actually had nine dalmatians–one of which, was named Pongo. She came up with the idea for her novel after one of her friends casually noted, “Those dogs would make a lovely fur coat.” Also, the birth of fifteen puppies seen in the film actually happened in her own life.

 

3. All of the dog barks were actually recorded by a human.

 

Much like the lion roars in The Lion King, 101 Dalmatians’ dog barks weren’t actually recorded by an animal. In fact, it was Clarence Nash, the voice actor famous for playing Donald Duck, who created them all.

 

4. Only 6 of Perdita and Pongo’ 15 puppies have names.

 

Even though Perdita gave birth to 15 puppies, the only names noted in the film were: Lucky, Rolly, Patch, Penny, Pepper, and Freckles.

 

5. Cruella de Vil’s live-action reference model voices another Disney character.

 

Mary Wickes, who provides the voice of Laverne in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also served as the live-action reference model for Cruella de Vil. Barbara Luddy, the voice actress who plays Lady in Lady and the Tramp, and Merryweather in Sleeping Beauty, was used for Nanny.

 

6. 800 gallons of special paint were used for production.

 

Artists used over 800 gallons of special paint (weighing 5 tons) while they were producing the film’s animation cels and backgrounds. That’s enough paint to cover about 15 football fields.

 

7. Cruella was animated by only one artist.

 

Though previous Disney movies assigned a team of several artists to work on a particular character, Marc Davis was the only artist who drew and animated Cruella De Vil.

 

8. 101 Dalmatians was the first Disney movies to use Xerography.

 

To make production less time consuming, and drawings more complex, art director Ken Anderson utilized a brand new photocopying technique called xerography. He came up with the idea of overlaying cells of line drawings over painted backgrounds to match Xeroxed cells of the characters. It was used for the next 20 years in most of Disney’s animated films.

 

9. Cardboard cars were used during production.

 

To nail the cars seen in the film (Cruella’s Rolls-Royce Phantom, for example), animators created model cars out of cardboard, filmed them moving around, and used the xerox process to insert them into the backgrounds.

 

10. The dogs were actually black and grey.

 

Though real dalmatians are white with black spots, the ones in the film were actually black and grey. Animators opted for grey because white would have been too bright on the screen, and wouldn’t have looked good in the snow.

 

Source: Wikipedia - The Hundred and One Dalmatians  |  Oh My Disney

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CANADIAN SHIELD

Panorama of Canadian Shield geography in the Flin Flon, Manitoba, region. Big Island Lake is in the background.

 

Did you know... that the Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks that forms the ancient geologic core of the North American continent. (Wikipedia)

 

Canadian Shield

shield, North America

BY The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

 

Geological Map of Canada; The Canadian Shield is a broad region of Precambrian

rock (pictured in shades of red) that encircles Hudson Bay. It spans eastern,

northeastern, and east-central Canada and the upper midwestern United States.

Canadian Shield, one of the world’s largest geologic continental shields, centred on Hudson Bay and extending for 8 million square km (3 million square miles) over eastern, central, and northwestern Canada from the Great Lakes to the Canadian Arctic and into Greenland, with small extensions into northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York, U.S.

 

Folded Precambrian gneiss of the Canadian Shield in Georgian Bay, Ontario

 

The Canadian Shield constitutes the largest mass of exposed Precambrian rock on the face of Earth. The region, as a whole, is composed of ancient crystalline rocks whose complex structure attests to a long history of uplift and depression, mountain building (orogeny), and erosion. Some of the ancient mountain ranges can still be recognized as a ridge or belt of hills, but the present appearance of the physical landscape of the Canadian Shield is not so much a result of the folding and faulting and compression of the rocks millions of years ago as it is the work of ice in relatively recent geologic time. During the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), the vast continental glaciers that covered northern North America had this region as a centre. The ice, in moving to the south, scraped the land bare of its overlying mantle of weathered rock. Some of this material was deposited on the shield when the ice melted, but the bulk of it was carried southward to be deposited south and southwest of the Canadian Shield.

 

Canadian Shield
Map depicting the extent of the Canadian Shield in North America. The Canadian

Shield constitutes the largest mass of exposed Precambrian rock on the face of Earth.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

 

The resulting surface consists of rocky, ice-smoothed hills with an average relief of 30 metres (100 feet), together with irregular basins, which are mostly filled by lakes or swamps. In places the old mountain ranges may be recognized by hills several hundreds of metres in height. The northeastern portion, however, became tilted up so that, in northern Labrador and Baffin Island, the land rises to more than 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) above sea level.

 

Typical shield landscape in a southern Ontario region with very few old growth trees,

due to a history of logging and fires. Black River, Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Canadian Shield  |  Britannica - Canadian Shield

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

This is one of my favorite movies.  I watch it every year. (DakRavie)

 

 

Wonderful Facts About It’s a Wonderful Life
BY JENNIFER M WOOD  |   DECEMBER 17, 2018  |  (UPDATED: DECEMBER 21, 2019)

 

Did you know... that Mary Owen wasn’t welcomed into the world until more than a decade after Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life made its premiere in 1946. But she grew up cherishing the film and getting the inside scoop on its making from its star, Donna Reed—who just so happens to be her mom. Though Reed passed away in 1986, Owen has stood as one of the film’s most dedicated historians, regularly introducing screenings of the ultimate holiday classic, including during its annual run at New York City’s IFC Center. She shared some of her mom’s memories with us to help reveal 25 things you might not have known about It’s a Wonderful Life.

 

1. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE ALL BEGAN WITH A CHRISTMAS CARD.
After years of unsuccessfully trying to shop his short story, The Greatest Gift, to publishers, Philip Van Doren Stern decided to give the gift of words to his closest friends for the holidays when he printed up 200 copies of the story and sent them out as a 21-page Christmas card. David Hempstead, a producer at RKO Pictures, ended up getting a hold of it, and purchased the movie rights for $10,000.

 

2. CARY GRANT WAS SET TO STAR IN IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
When RKO purchased the rights, they did so with the plan of having Cary Grant in the lead. But, as happens so often in Hollywood, the project went through some ups and downs in the development process. In 1945, after a number of rewrites, RKO sold the movie rights to Frank Capra, who quickly recruited Jimmy Stewart to play George Bailey.

 

3. DOROTHY PARKER WORKED ON THE SCRIPT FOR IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

 

By the time It’s a Wonderful Life made it into theaters, the story was much different from Stern’s original tale. That’s because more than a half-dozen people contributed to the screenplay, including some of the most acclaimed writers of the time—Dorothy Parker, Dalton Trumbo, Marc Connelly, and Clifford Odets among them.

 

4. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE SCREENWRITERS FRANCES GOODRICH AND ALBERT HACKETT WALKED OUT ON THE PROJECT.
Though they’re credited as the film’s screenwriters with Capra, the husband and wife writing duo were not pleased with the treatment they received from Capra. “Frank Capra could be condescending,” Hackett said in an interview, “and you just didn't address Frances as ‘my dear woman.’ When we were pretty far along in the script but not done, our agent called and said, ‘Capra wants to know how soon you'll be finished.’ Frances said, ‘We're finished right now.’ We put our pens down and never went back to it.”

 

5. FRANK CAPRA DIDN'T DO THE BEST JOB OF SELLING JIMMY STEWART ON IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
After laying out the plot line of the film for Jimmy Stewart in a meeting, Capra realized that, “This really doesn’t sound so good, does it?” Stewart recalled in an interview. Stewart’s reply? “Frank: If you want me to be in a picture about a guy that wants to kill himself and an angel comes down named Clarence who can’t swim and I save him, when do we start?”

 

6. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE MARKED DONNA REED'S FIRST STARRING ROLE.

 

Though Donna Reed was hardly a newcomer when It’s a Wonderful Life rolled around, having appeared in nearly 20 projects previously, the film did mark her first starring role. It’s difficult to imagine anyone else in the role today, but Reed had some serious competition from Jean Arthur. “[Frank Capra] had seen mom in They Were Expendable and liked her,” Mary Owen told Mental Floss. “When Capra met my mother at MGM, he knew she'd be just right for Mary Bailey.”

 

7. MARY OWEN IS NOT NAMED AFTER MARY BAILEY.
Before you ask whether Owen was named after her mom’s much beloved It’s a Wonderful Life character, “The answer is no,” says Owen. “I was named after my great grandmother, Mary Mullenger.”

 

8. BEULAH BONDI WAS A PRO AT PLAYING JIMMY STEWART'S MOM.
Beulah Bondi, who plays Mrs. Bailey, didn’t need a lot of rehearsal to play Jimmy Stewart’s mom. She had done it three times previously—in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Human Hearts, and Vivacious Lady—and once later on The Jimmy Stewart Show: The Identity Crisis (episode 7).

 

9. FRANK CAPRA, DONNA REED, AND JIMMY STEWART HAVE ALL CALLED IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE THEIR FAVORITE MOVIE.

 

Though their collective filmographies consist of a couple hundred movies, Capra, Reed, and Stewart have all cited It’s a Wonderful Life as their favorite movie. In his autobiography, The Name Above the Title, Capra took that praise even one step further, writing: “I thought it was the greatest film I ever made. Better yet, I thought it was the greatest film anybody ever made.”

 

10. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE BOMBED AT THE BOX OFFICE.
Though it has become a quintessential American classic, It’s a Wonderful Life was not an immediate hit with audiences. In fact, it put Capra $525,000 in the hole, which left him scrambling to finance his production company’s next picture, State of the Union.

 

Click on the links below to read more on this wonderful classic film, It's a Wonderful Life

 

Source: Facts About It's A Wonderful Life  |  It's A Wonderful Life: 12 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Classic Christmas Movie

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - AURORA

Poster of aurora borealis images.

 

Did you know... that an aurora, sometimes referred to as polar lights, northern lights, or southern lights, is a natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions. Auroras are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind. These disturbances are sometimes strong enough to alter the trajectories of charged particles in both solar wind and magnetospheric plasma. These particles, mainly electrons and protons, precipitate into the upper atmosphere. (Wikipedia)

 

Northern Lights: 8 Dazzling Facts About Auroras
By Jesse Emspak - Live Science Contributor  |  October 27, 2014

 

The aurora borealis – otherwise known as the northern lights – is a vivid demonstration of the Earth's magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun. It's also beautiful, and worth braving a cold night out when visiting the high northern (or southern) latitudes. 

Auroras are centered on the Earth's magnetic poles, visible in a roughly circular region around them. Since the magnetic and geographic poles aren't the same, sometimes the auroras are visible farther south than one might expect, while in other places it's farther north.

Northern Lights Dazzle in Night-Sky.  This 2008 image, taken in Antarctica, capture's Earth's atmosphere in a St. Paddy's Day mood.

(Image credit: Keith Vanderlinde, National Science Foundation)

 

In the Northern Hemisphere, the auroral zone runs along the northern coast of Siberia, Scandinavia, Iceland, the southern tip of Greenland and northern Canada and Alaska. Auroras are visible south of the zone, but they are less likely to occur the farther away you go. The Southern Hemisphere auroral zone is mostly over Antarctica, or the Southern Ocean. To see the southern lights (or aurora australis), you have to go to Tasmania, and there are occasional sightings in southern Argentina or the Falklands – but those are rare. Here are some dazzling facts about these light shows.

 

1. Different ions make different colors

The northern lights come in an array of colors, like this stunning show above Maine.

(Image credit: Image copyright Mike Taylor - Taylor Photography)

 

Aurora displays are created when protons and electrons stream out from the solar surface and slam into the Earth's magnetic field. Since the particles are charged they move in spirals along the magnetic field lines, the protons in one direction and the electrons in the other. Those particles in turn hit the atmosphere. Since they follow the magnetic field lines, most of them enter the atmospheric gases in a ring around the magnetic poles, where the magnetic field lines come together.

 

The air is made up largely of nitrogen and oxygen atoms, with oxygen becoming a bigger component at the altitudes auroras happen – starting about 60 miles up and going all the way up to 600 miles. When the charged particles hit them, they gain energy. Eventually they relax, giving up the energy and releasing photons of specific wavelengths. Oxygen atoms emit green and sometimes red light, while nitrogen is more orange or red.

 

2. They are visible from space

Brilliant northern lights dance above Earth as seen in this still from a video shot by astronauts on the International Space Station

in 2012. (Image credit: NASA)

 

Satellites can take pictures of the aurora from Earth's orbit — and the images they get are pretty striking. In fact, auroras are bright enough that they show up strongly on the nightside of the Earth even if one were looking at them from another planet.

 

The International Space Station's orbit is inclined enough that it even plows through the heavenly lights. Most of the time nobody notices, as the density of charged particles is so low. Rodney Viereck, director of the Space Weather Prediction Test Bed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),said the only time it matters is during particularly intense solar storms, when radiation levels are high. At that point all the astronauts have to do is move to a more protected area of the station. (Ironically, intense solar storms can actually reduce the amount of radiation around the space station, because of the interactions of charged particles with the Earth's magnetic field). Meanwhile, ISS astronauts can snap gorgeous auroral panoramas.

 

3. Other planets have them

Powerful X-ray auroras observed at the poles on Jupiter. (Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SwRI/R.Gladstone et al.;

Optical: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage (AURA/STScI))

 

Voyagers 1 and 2 were the first probes to bring back pictures of auroras on Jupiter and Saturn, and later Uranus and Neptune. Since then, the Hubble Space Telescope has taken pictures of them as well. Auroras on either Jupiter or Saturn are much larger and more powerful than on Earth, because those planets' magnetic fields are orders of magnitude more intense.

 

On Uranus, auroras get weirder, because the planet's magnetic field is oriented roughly vertically, but the planet rotates on its side. That means instead of the bright rings you see on other worlds, Uranus' auroras look more like single bright spots, at least when spied by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2011. But it's not clear that's always the case, because no spacecraft has seen the planet up-close since 1986.

 

4. The lights can move south

Occasionally the auroras are visible farther from the poles than usual. In times of high solar activity, the southern limit for seeing auroras can go as far south as Oklahoma and Atlanta — as it did in October 2011. A record was probably set at the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia in 1862, during the Civil War, when the northern lights appeared. Many soldiers noted it in their diaries. Viereck said it is actually harder now than a century ago to tell when auroras are very bright, because so many Americans live in cities, and the lights wash out the aurora. "You could have a major auroral storm in New York City and if you looked up you wouldn't notice," he said.

 

5. Divine signs?

Southern Lights captured by the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. (Image credit: NASA)

 

Speaking of that Civil War aurora, a few observers took the swirling light show as a bad omen (notably Elizabeth Lyle Saxon, who wrote about the phenomenon in her 1905 book, "A Southern Woman's War Time Reminiscences"), though most people just saw it as an unusual and impressive display. In areas where the lights are rare, they were often taken as bad omens, as the ancient Greeks did. The Inuit, who see auroras more often, thought the lights were spirits playing in the sky, and some groups would tell children not to play outside at night lest the aurora disappear and take them along. Laplanders thought the lights were the spirits of the dead. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Maori and Aboriginal people of Australia associated the southern lights with fires in the spirit world.

 

Oddly, the Old Norse and Icelandic literature doesn't seem to mention auroras much. The Vikings thought the displays might be fires that surrounded the edge of the world, an emanation of flame from the northern ice, or reflections from the sun as it went around the other side of the Earth. All three ideas were considered rational, non-supernatural explanations in the Medieval Period.

 

6. Cold fire

Northern Lights seen in Time Lapse from Michigan.

 

The northern lights look like fire, but they wouldn't feel like one. Even though the temperature of the upper atmosphere can reach thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, the heat is based on the average speed of the molecules. After all, that's what temperature is. But feeling heat is another matter – the density of the air is so low at 60 miles (96 kilometers) up that a thermometer would register temperatures far below zero where aurora displays occur.

 

7. Cameras see it better

Auroras are relatively dim, and the redder light is often at the limit of what human retinas can pick up. Cameras, though, are often more sensitive, and with a long-exposure setting and a clear dark sky you can pick up some spectacular shots.

 

8. You can't predict a show

One of the most difficult problems in solar physics is knowing the shape of a magnetic field in a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is basically a huge blob of charged particles ejected from the sun. Such CMEs have their own magnetic fields. The problem is, it is nigh impossible to tell in what direction the CME field is pointing until it hits. A hit creates either a spectacular magnetic storm and dazzling aurora with it, or a fizzle. Currently there's no way to know ahead of time.

 

Arc Of The Auroral Oval And The Winter is a photograph by Alan Dye

 

NOAA has an online map that can tell you what auroral activity looks like on any given day, showing the extent of the "auroral oval" and where one is more likely to catch the lights.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Aurora  |  Live Science - Facts About Auroras

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SNOWMAN

The earliest known photograph of a snowman, c.1853.

 

Did you know... that a snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture often built in regions with sufficient snowfall. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Due to the sculptability of snow, there is also a wide variety of other styles. Common accessories include branches for arms and a rudimentary smiley face, with a carrot used for a nose. Clothing, such as a hat or scarf, may be included. Low cost and availability are the common issues, since snowmen are usually abandoned to the elements once completed. (Wikipedia)

 

Winter’s Effigies: The Deviant History of the Snowman
BY REBECCA BURGAN  |  DECEMBER 17, 2014

 

Dutch queen Wilhemina & princess Juliana as snowpeople in the Netherlands (1913)

 

HUMANS ARE INNATELY DRAWN TO creating effigies of their own likenesses, often forging the figures from a crude stack of frozen balls plopped one atop of another. Building a snowman utilizes materials that are free of cost, easy to manipulate, and plentiful in certain times and places. It requires minimal artistic skill, as the placement of a few simple twigs and rocks can furnish your creation with an eerily expressive personality. 

 

Snowman with charred backside in a 14th-century Book of Hours.

 

Early snowman documentation has been discovered as far back as the Middle Ages, but we must assume that humans, creative beings that they are, have taken advantage of the icy materials that fall from the sky ever since winter and mankind have mutually existed. Bob Eckstein, author of The History of the Snowman, found the snowman’s earliest known depiction in an illuminated manuscript of the Book of Hours from 1380 in the Koninkijke Bibliotheek in The Hague, Netherlands (shown above).

 

The despondent snowman seems to be of anti-Semitic nature, shaped with the stacked-ball method, and donning a jaunty Jewish cap. As he sits slumped with his back turned to the deadly fire, the adjacent text pronounces the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Apparently, plague-ridden Europeans needed a comical stooge onto whom they could foist their blame and frustration, and the Jewish snowman fit that bill.

 

Women attacking a cop snowman in a 1937 painting by Hans Dahl.

 

In the Middle Ages, building snowmen was a way for a community to find the silver lining in a horribly oppressive winter rife with starvation, poverty, and other life-threatening conditions. In 1511, the townspeople of Brussels banded together to construct over 100 snowmen in a public art installation known as the Miracle of 1511. This event was uncovered by Eckstein in his The History of the Snowman book.

 

Their snowmen embodied a dissatisfaction with the political climate, not to mention the six weeks of below-freezing weather. The Belgians rendered their anxieties into tangible, life-like models: a defecating demon, a humiliated king, and womenfolk getting buggered six ways to Sunday. Besides your typical sexually graphic and politically riled caricatures, the Belgian snowmen, Eckstein discovered, were often parodies of folklore figures, such as mermaids, unicorns, and village idiots.

 

The Snowman Trick (1950), illustration by Luke Limner, Esq. 

 

The snowman’s place in the traditional Christmas canon of jolly holiday diversions — along with ice-skating and horse-drawn sleighs — gained a higher status in the early Victorian era, when Prince Albert thrust his penchant for German holiday fun onto England. Santa Claus and the snowman became ubiquitous icons who soared hand-in-hand o’er the land of commodified Christmas kitsch.

 

A snowman receives romantic advice from dog in Hans Christian Andersen’s “Stories for the Household” (1880s).

 

The snowman’s lot in life is complicated — he is immobile, explicitly impermanent, and confined to an existence of ruminating upon his fate. He is the perfect metaphorical example of the human condition: longing for that which we cannot obtain, in his case touch and warmth. It’s believed that Hans Christian Andersen’s 1861 fairy tale, “The Snowman,” wherein a snowman falls unrequitedly in love with a stove, held symbolic implications of Andersen’s infatuation with Harald Scharff, a young ballet dancer at Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre. Andersen wrote about how the thing we love most can eventually destroy us, yet we happily sacrifice ourselves. When the “stove-sick” snowman gazes upon the burning oven from outside, he cries:

 

It is my only wish, my biggest wish; it would almost be unfair if it wasn’t granted. I must get in and lean against her, even if I have to break a window.

 

Modern-day authors, filmmakers, and artists of every ilk have appropriated the Frosty-type character as their own. The snowman has made appearances in hundreds of books and magazines, dozens of films, and seems to materialize at every critical time and place in history, just as long as Old Man Winter, Jack Frost, or any other personification of winter blows his snowy breath onto the land. The snowman’s persona is safe and placid, politically nonpartisan, unaffiliated with religion, and practically androgynous. Today’s snowman is fashioned with much less political allegory in favor of cheap, empty, irony, as he was commissioned to sell products such as liquor, laxatives, and rap albums.

 

Not unlike how the blank, smiling expression of a clown is inevitably considered creepy, the snowman has a wicked layer beneath his pure face. A snowman has portrayed the evil villain in slasher films and sci-fi TV shows, and depicted sexual humiliation in comic strips, kitschy products, and your own neighbor’s front yard. Today’s snowman is as easily a malicious serial killer as he is a fluffy children’s plaything. This marks the period Bob Eckstein refers to as the snowman’s White Trash Years (1975-2000). 

 

Field of Japanese snowmen in Sapporo.

 

You can wait for a blizzard and construct your own demonic fornicating snowperson, or head out to one of the hundreds of snowman festivals and contests. For over 30 years the Japanese city of Sapporo, in the Hokkaido region, has hosted the Sapporo Snow Festival where an infestation of 12,000 mini snowmen cluster in a field, wearing cryptic messages from their makers. 

 

The stalwart “Jacob”.

 

There’s also the Bischofsgrün Snowman Festival (Schneemannfest), held every February in Bavaria, featuring “Jacob,” Germany’s über gigantic snowman. 

 

CLick the link below  to read more on the Winter Effigies of the Snowman.

 

Source: Winter Effigies: History of the Snowman  |  Wikipedia - Snowman

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City
 

Did you know... that Christmas lights are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom goes back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles, which symbolized Christ being the light of the world. (Wikipedia)

 

What you didn't know about Christmas lights

Katie Ingram

 

 

Tis the season of turkey, gifts, delicious cookies, Santa Claus and, of course, twinkling lights of all shapes and sizes. In America, roughly 150 million light sets are sold each year. We're obsessed! And from icicles to bubble lights, these holiday staples have a long and colorful — but often overlooked — history. Here are a few fascinating facts about Christmas lights to consider as you deck the halls this year:

 

1. The person who sparked the tradition of holiday lights is believed to be Martin Luther, the 16th century protestant reformer and priest. It is said he became so entranced by stars shining through an evergreen forest that he brought a tree into his home and tied candles onto its branches for his family's enjoyment.

 

 

2. Thomas Edison invented strands of lights in 1880, but these weren't used for decorating purposes until 1882, when Edward Johnson, vice president of the Edison Illuminating Company, hung 80 hand-wired lights around a rotating Christmas tree in his home, and enchanted passersby. A reporter from the Detroit Post and Tribune described the spectacle as "a continuous twinkling of dancing colors, red, white, blue, white, red, blue — all evening. I need not tell you that the scintillating evergreen was a pretty sight — one can hardly imagine anything prettier."

 

 

3. After President Grover Cleveland used lights on the White House Christmas tree in 1895, they became a national sensation. Everyone wanted their own holiday lights, but often couldn't afford to buy them. It cost about $300 to light a single tree, as each individual light had to be wired by an electrician. However, in 1903, the General Electric Company started selling pre-assembled light kits that could be rented from some department stores for about $1.50 a strand.

 

 

4. For more than 60 years, Hargrove Inc. has decorated the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. In 1954, when this tradition began, Earl Hargrove had to install each light individually. When a bulb stopped working, he dressed up as Santa and proceeded to climb up the tree to replace the malfunctioning light.

 

National Christmas Tree (1970) Washington.

 

5. Blinking lights were first introduced in the 1920s. These days, they seem to be everywhere, but most of us don't know that it's a simple thermostat that controls that delightful on-off pattern. Once the lights are plugged in, a strip of metal inside the bulb is heated until it bends. This breaks the circuit and kills the light. As it cools down, that strip of metal bends backwards and connects to the same circuit once again, and the light reappears, blinking happily.

 

 

6. While Christmas lights make houses and yards feel festive, they can't be left up for too long — at least in some places. In San Diego, if lights are kept up past Feb. 2, homeowners are subject to a possible $250 fine. In Aurora, Illinois, residents can be fined $50 for lights left up after Feb. 25.

 

Somewhere in Sandiego.

 

7. The 2016 Rockefeller Christmas Tree is decorated with 50,000 LED lights.

 

2016 Rockefeller Christmas Tree 

 

8. But that's nothing compared to the Guinness World Record for most lights on a residential property, held by the Gay family from LaGrangeville, New York. In 2014, they spent two months decorating a two-acre space with 601,736 lights.

 

 

9. When Christmas lights break or no longer work, they are often sent to Shijiao, China. Every year, around 20 million pounds of lights are shipped to this city, where they are broken down into different materials and recycled into new products, like slipper soles.

 

 

10. No matter how beautiful your display, America's holiday light obsession can be costly. It accounts for some six percent of the nation's entire energy consumption in December. Also, the U.S. uses an average of 6.63 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year on Christmas lights — which is more than El Salvador's 5.35 kilowatt average, and Ethiopia's 5.30 kilowatt average, for an entire year.

 

 

11. The average American's monthly electric bill is around $114. But this year, Americans will spend between $199 and $573 on electricity during the holiday season, and some people will spend close to $1,000. So, enjoy that warm festive glow, but do consider hitting the "off" switch at night!

 

Source: Wikipedia - Christmas Lights  |  What You Didn't Know About Christmas Lights

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FOLKTALES.

1865 illustration of Hop-o'-My-Thumb and the ogre

by Alexander Zick

 

Did you know... that a fairy tale, fairytale, wonder tale, magic tale, fairy story or Märchen is an instance of a folklore genre that takes the form of a short story. Such stories typically feature entities such as dwarfs, dragons, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, griffins, mermaids, talking animals, trolls, unicorns, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. In most cultures, there is no clear line separating myth from folk or fairy tale; all these together form the literature of preliterate societies. Fairy tales may be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicit moral tales, including beast fables. (Wikipedia)

 

Myths and Legends

What are myths, legends and folktales?

Storytelling is common to every culture. Most people enjoy listening to stories. Storytellers have catered for the need for a 'good story' since the beginning of civilization. Most people have their own favorite story from childhood and, often, these tales are both fascinating and frightening. These stories include legends, myths and folktales.

 

What are legends?

King Arthur and the Round Table

 

A legend is a semi-true story, which has been passed on from person-to-person and has important meaning or symbolism for the culture in which it originates. A legend usually includes an element of truth, or is based on historic facts, but with 'mythical qualities'. Legends usually involve heroic characters or fantastic places and often encompass the spiritual beliefs of the culture in which they originate.

 

What are myths?

A myth is a story based on tradition or legend, which has a deep symbolic meaning. A myth 'conveys a truth' to those who tell it and hear it, rather than necessarily recording a true event. Although some myths can be accounts of actual events, they have become transformed by symbolic meaning or shifted in time or place. Myths are often used to explain universal and local beginnings and involve supernatural beings. The great power of the meaning of these stories, to the culture in which they developed, is a major reason why they survive as long as they do - sometimes for thousands of years.

 

What are folktales?

A folktale is a popular story that was passed on in spoken form, from one generation to the next. Usually the author is unknown and there are often many versions of the tale. Folktales comprise fables, fairy tales, old legends and even 'urban legends'. Again, some tales may have been based on a partial truth that has been lost or hidden over time. It is difficult to categorize folktales precisely because they fit into many categories.

 

What is the difference between legends, myths and folktales?

Myths, legends and folktales are hard to classify and often overlap. Imagine a line (or continuum) with an historical account based on facts at one end and myths or cultural folktales at the other; as you progress towards the mythical/folktale end of the line, what an event symbolizes to people, or what they feel about it, becomes of greater historical significance than the facts, which become less important. By the time you reach the far end of the spectrum, the story has taken on a life of its own and the facts of the original event, if there ever were any, have become almost irrelevant. It is the message that is important.

 

Well-Known Folktales

 by Keith McGowan

 

Cinderella

 

Interesting Fact: The girl's name is meant to be read as Cinder Ella because she always has to sweep the chimney. In the original German her name is Aschenputtel--Aschen as in ashes.

 

Rapunzel

 

Sleeping Beauty

 

The Grimm title to this folktale is Little Briar Rose. The French version by Charles Perrault appeared first and may have been the source for the story told in Germany. The French title was The Beauty (Belle) Asleep in the Woods.

 

Little Red Riding Hood  

Little Red Cap would be a more accurate translation of the title.

 

Snow White  

The original opens with a baby born "as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony wood."

 

Hansel and Gretel  

Interesting Fact: Original Grimm version featured the biological mother and father; later, the mother character was changed to a stepmother. The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children tells the story of the child-eating witch in modern times.

 

Rumpelstiltskin

 

The Bremen Town Musicians

 

The Seven Ravens

 

The Goose Girl

 

Brother and Sister  

A brother drinks from a stream and turns into a deer just when the King and his hunting party ride through the woods. The Witch's Curse (originally titled The Hunter's Curse) re-tells this story for modern children--quite suspenseful for nine year old's.

 

The Frog King

 

Frau Holle

 

Clever Hans

 

The Girl Without Hands

 

The SurLaLune website has a lot of great detailed information on folktales.

 

I like this edu website from Professor D. L. Ashliman for complete texts of the Brothers Grimm folktales in English and German. He also has a good list of links to explore the web for folktale information.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Fairy Tale  |  Myth and Legends  |  Well-Known Folktales

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - NEWSPAPER

 

Did you know... that other than wrapping up a tasty batch of fish and chips, and their iconic smell, newspaper, publication usually issued daily, weekly, or at other regular times that provides news, views, features, and other information of public interest and that often carries advertising.

 

Newspaper Facts You Never Knew
Written by Tom Matthews  |  Last Updated on 21st January 2020

 

The Courant Newspaper

 

• The first British newspaper was the Courant printed in 1621.
• The Daily Courant was the first regular daily British newspaper printed in 1702.

 

The Daily Mirror Newspaper

 

• The Daily Mirror, founded in 1903, is Britain’s oldest surviving tabloid.
• The Daily Mirror was the first UK daily national newspaper to produce a free weekly colour magazine (on a Wednesday) in 1969.
• The Sunday Mirror newspaper used to be called the Sunday Pictorial until 1963.

 

The Times Newspaper

 

• The Times newspaper did not carry news stories on the front page until 1966.
• The Times is the UK’s oldest current daily national newspaper, founded as The Daily & Universal Register in 1785 before changing its name to The Times in 1788.
• The Times crossword first appeared on 1st February 1930.
• The Times newspaper was not printed for nearly a year between 1978 and 1979 due to an industrial dispute.
• The first photograph in the Times newspaper appeared in 1914.

 

The Sunday Times

 

• The Sunday Times newspaper (despite its name) had no relationship with The Times newspaper until a change of ownership in 1966 led to them becoming sister papers.
• The Sunday Times was the first UK national Sunday newspaper to supply a colour magazine supplement in 1962.

 

The Guardian Newspaper

 

• The Guardian newspaper used to be called The Manchester Guardian until 1959.
• The Guardian and Observer newspapers changed to a mid-size format in 2006 (neither broadsheet nor tabloid) – the format is officially known as “Berliner” after a German newspaper of the same size.

 

The Daily Mail Newspaper

 

• Most of the UK’s national newspapers were broadsheets before the 1970s, including the Daily Mail and Daily Express.
• The Daily Mail is mentioned in The Beatles’ hit single Paperback Writer.
• The Daily Mail (founded 1896) was the first UK daily newspaper to sell more than 1 million copies, making it the biggest selling Western newspaper.
• The sister paper of the Daily Mail is called The Mail on Sunday to prevent it from being confused with the sister paper of the Scottish Daily Record which is called the Sunday Mail!.
• The Daily Mail has been owned by the family of Lord Rothermere since it was founded in 1896.

 

The Observer Newspaper

 

• The Observer founded in 1791 is the world’s oldest Sunday paper.
• The Observer became the sister paper of The Guardian in 1993 following a change in ownership.

 

The Sun

 

• The Sun newspaper is currently Britain’s biggest selling daily newspaper.
• The Sun newspaper used to be called the Daily Herald until 1964 and was re-launched as a tabloid in 1969.

 

News of the World

 

• The News of the World was the most popular English language newspaper in the world in the 1950s.
• The News of the World and Sunday Mirror newspapers both appointed their first female editors in 1987.
• The News of the World is the biggest selling Sunday newspaper.

 

Did You Know About These Newspapers?

• The Daily Telegraph and Financial Times are currently the only UK national daily newspapers to retain a broadsheet format.
• The Financial Times (founded in 1888) was first printed on pink paper in 1893 to distinguish it from its rival the Financial News- the Financial News was eventually merged with the Financial Times in 1945.
• The Yorkshire Post was the first British newspaper to report on The Abdication Crisis on 2nd December 1936.
• The London Evening News was the biggest selling London evening paper for decades before merging with the London Evening Standard in 1980.
• The Daily Star was first printed in 1978 and is no relation of “The Star”, which was a London evening paper printed 1888-1960.
• The Today newspaper (printed from 1986-1995) was the UK’s first national full colour newspaper.
• The Daily Herald was the first UK daily newspaper to sell more than 2 million copies, making it the biggest selling paper in the world in 1933.
• The Daily Express (founded 1900) was the UK’s most popular daily by 1936 with the largest circulation in the world of 2.25 million, rising to 3 million in 1944 and 4 million in 1949. The Daily Express was the last UK national newspaper to leave Fleet Street, which was the home of the British Press from 1702-1989.
• The Sunday Express was the first UK national newspaper to carry a crossword on 2nd November 1924.
• The Independent (founded 1986) is the UK’s youngest national daily newspaper.
• The Daily Star Sunday (started 2002) is the UK’s youngest national Sunday newspaper.
• The Scotsman was first printed as a weekly newspaper in 1817, before becoming a daily newspaper in 1855.
• The Herald (Glasgow) was first printed as the Glasgow Advertiser in 1783, before changing its name to the Herald & Advertiser in 1802, the Glasgow Herald in 1805 and The Herald in 1992!
• The Daily Graphic (founded 1890) was the UK’s first daily illustrated newspaper.

 

Famous Figures in Newspapers

Charles Dickens

 

• Charles Dickens was the first editor for the Daily News, which later merged with the Daily Chronicle to form the News Chronicle.
• Michael Foot (former leader of the Labour Party) was once editor of the Tribune newspaper.
• The Sporting Life (printed 1859-1998) was the late Queen Mother’s favourite paper.
• Rupert Bear is the longest running cartoon character in a British newspaper first appearing in the Daily Express on 8th November 1920 where he still appears today.
• The British Gazette newspaper was printed by the Government during the General Strike of 1926 and was edited by Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill was acting as war correspondent for The Morning Post newspaper in 1899 during the Boer War when he was captured – his subsequent escape from the prison camp made him a national hero.

 

Winston Churchill

 

More Newspaper Facts

 

• Evening newspapers are the best way to read the news from the day itself.
• Newspapers prefer to be stored in a cool, damp and dark environment – therefore our storage location in Scotland is ideal!
• UK national newspapers did not use to be printed on Good Friday (Easter) and the Financial Times still does not print on Good Friday.
• Newspapers in the 1940s have less pages than newspapers from the 1930s due to a shortage of newsprint in the 1940s as a result of the Second World War.
• Newspaper titles change over the years and a title of the past is generally very different from its counterpart today. Most papers were broadsheets with greater and more serious journalistic content. The Sunday People for example was a highly-regarded broadsheet 50. years ago that was not that different than the more serious broadsheets of today.

 

Source: Historic Newspapers

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - HANUKKAH

Dreidels, hanukkiah and sufganiyot

 

Did you know.... that Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating an early victory in the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire: the recapture of Jerusalem in the year 164 BCE and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple. It is also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, called a menorah (or hanukkiah). One branch is typically placed above or below the others and its candle is used to light the other eight candles. This unique candle is called the shamash (Hebrew: שַׁמָּשׁ‎, "attendant"). Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shamash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. Other Hanukkah festivities include playing the game of dreidel and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods. Since the 1970s, the worldwide Chabad Hasidic movement has initiated public menorah lightings in open public places in many countries. Although a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to its occurring around the same time as Christmas, and coming to be treated as a Jewish counterpart or alternative to Christmas. (Wikipedia)

 

Festive Facts About Hanukkah

BY SUZANNE RAGA  |  December 24, 2016 (Updated: December 9, 2020)

 

 

Every winter, Jewish people around the world spend eight nights lighting candles, eating latkes, and spinning dreidels. But beyond the menorahs and fried food, what’s Hanukkah really about?

 

 

DON’T WORRY ABOUT SPELLING HANNUKAH WRONG.
The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication, and the holiday is colloquially called the Festival of Lights. But you’ve probably seen the word spelled a variety of ways, from Hanukkah to Hannuka to Chanukah. Because the word is transliterated from Hebrew, there’s not an exact English equivalent for the sounds made by the Hebrew characters. So technically, you could spell it Khahnoocca and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong, but most people would probably be confused.

 

HANNUKAH CELEBRATES A MILITARY VICTORY AND MIRACLE.
During the eight nights of Hanukkah, Jews light a candle to pay tribute to a miracle that occurred back in 165 BCE. The Maccabees, an army of Jewish rebels, conquered the Syrian-Greeks, who had outlawed Jewish practices and defiled the holy Temple in Jerusalem by putting an altar of Zeus in it and sacrificing pigs. The Maccabees then rededicated and reclaimed the Temple, and although they only had enough oil to light a lamp for one day, the oil miraculously lasted for eight days.

 

HANNUKAH IS NOT THE BIGGEST JEWISH HOLIDAY.
The Torah makes no mention of Hanukkah, and the Jewish religion places much more importance on holidays such as Passover and Rosh Hashanah. But because Hanukkah usually occurs in December, around Christmas time and winter break when people of many religions are celebrating the season, Jews living in the United States in the early 20th century began placing more importance on the holiday. Today, Jews around the world (even in Israel) have followed suit, and Hanukkah is more important than it once was.

 

HANNUKAH FOOD ISN’T NECESSARILY THE HEALTHIEST.
Hanukkah has its own set of customary foods. To celebrate the holiday, Jews fry foods in oil to acknowledge the miracle of the oil. They may chow down on latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), kugel (noodle or potato casserole), and gelt (chocolate coins).

 

THE LETTERS ON A HANNUKAH DREIDEL FORM AN ACRONYM.

At Hanukkah, kids play with dreidels, which are small spinning tops. Tradition says that before the Maccabees revolted, Jews weren’t legally allowed to read the Torah, so they would study the holy text while pretending to gamble with spinning dreidels. Each of the four sides of a dreidel has a Hebrew character: Nun, Gimel, Hay or Shin. The four letters are said to stand for the Hebrew phrase "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham"—meaning "A great miracle happened there"—which refers to the miraculous, long-lasting oil.

 

THE DATES OF HANNUKAH CHANGE EACH YEAR.
Because the holiday is based on the Hebrew calendar, there’s no set Gregorian date range for Hanukkah. While it always starts on the 25th day of the Hebrew month Kislev, that date can correspond to anywhere from late November to late December. This year, Hanukkah is fairly late, beginning on the evening of December 22 and going to December 30.

 

SOMETIMES HANUKKAH COINCIDES WITH THANKSGIVING.
In 2013, Hanukkah overlapped with Thanksgiving, giving rise to countless Thanksgivukkah memes and jokes about cranberry-filled sufganiyot and sweet potato latkes. Sadly, the next Thanksgivukkah won’t occur until 2070, when the first night of Hanukkah will coincide with a particularly late Thanksgiving dinner.

 

SOME JEWS GIVE MONEY RATHER THAN GIFTS ON HANNUKAH.

Traditionally, Jews celebrated Hanukkah by giving their kids and relatives gelt (money) rather than wrapped gifts. But because holiday gift-giving plays a big role for both Christians and secular people, many Jews now give and receive Hanukkah presents instead of money. To acknowledge tradition, though, most Jews give children gelt in the form of chocolate coins wrapped in gold or silver foil.

 

YOU’LL NEED TO LIGHT 44 CANDLES ON HANNUKAH.

Silver Hanukkiah
Hanukkah menorahs—which some Jews prefer to call a chanukiah, to differentiate it from the true menorah at the Temple—have nine branches, eight for each night plus a helper candle called a shamash that lights the others. Jews light the candles in the menorah from left to right, lighting a new candle, candles for the previous days, and the helper candle each night. You’ll need to use a whopping 44 candles to celebrate Hanukkah since you light two candles the first night, three the second night, four the third night, and so on.

 

YOU CAN BUY SCENTED CANDLES FOR YOUR HANUKKAH MENORAH.
A big part of Hanukkah is lighting candles, but some Jews opt for a less conventional approach. Besides buying candles in different colors and non-toxic varieties, there are also scented candles available for Hanukkah menorahs. If you want to make your home smell like vanilla, raspberry, or even sufganiyot, there’s a scented candle for you.

 

HANUKKAH SONGS AREN'T REALLY A THING—AT LEAST FOR ADULTS.
Christmas songs start playing on the radio long before Thanksgiving, but although you might know a few Hanukkah songs, music isn’t a huge part of the Jewish holiday. Well-known songs such as "I Have a Little Dreidel" and "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" are mainly for children, and songs like Adam Sandler’s "The Chanukah Song" are mostly for laughs.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Hanukkah  |  Festive Facts About Hanukkah

Edited December 14, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - METEOR SHOWER

Leonids from space.

 

Did you know... that a meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller than a grain of sand, so almost all of them disintegrate and never hit the Earth's surface. Very intense or unusual meteor showers are known as meteor outbursts and meteor storms, which produce at least 1,000 meteors an hour, most notably from the Leonids. (Wikipedia)

 

The Nine Planets

Meteor showers have occurred since the first celestial bodies had formed. Earth has always experienced these events. One of the greatest meteor shower events in the modern era happened in 1833. This meteor shower was named Leonids, and it is associated with the the comet Tempel-Tuttle.

 

Estimates from then suggest that around 100.000 to 200.000 meteors hit the Earth’s atmosphere per hour. The nature of meteors was still debated during the 19th century until the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli ascertained the relation between meteors and comets.

 

Key Facts

• Most meteors never hit Earth’s surface. Almost all of them are smaller than a grain of sand. As such they disintegrate in the atmosphere.
• There are however very intense meteor showers known as meteor outbursts and meteor storms. These events produce at least 1.000 meteors an hour.
• These “showers” are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids which enter Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories.
• The Leonids meteor shower gave birth to the term “meteor shower”. It produces the most intense meteor storms, peaking at rates of thousands of meteors per hour.
• One of the most visible meteor showers is called the Perseids. Usually, one meteor per minute can be observed during this event. It occurs each year in mid-August.
• Meteors fall on Earth even in the day, though they are harder to spot.
• Comets are largely responsible for meteor showers. As Earth moves through the debris trails created by comets, the debris hits our atmosphere.
• One of the earliest records of the Perseids meteor shower was found in the Chinese annals from 36 AD.
• Meteor showers can be best viewed in the early morning hours, or on a dark, moonless night.
• Most meteor showers are named after the constellation from which they appear to hail. For example, the Perseids appear to “come” from the constellation Perseus.
• Meteor showers can be observed with the naked eye.
• Meteor showers do not occur only on Earth. They can manifest on any celestial object with a reasonably transparent atmosphere. Mars has been observed to have meteor showers. Even moons may experience these events.
• The Meteor Data Centre lists over 900 suspected meteor showers of which about 100 are well established.

 

Formation
In 1951, the American astronomer Fred Whipple demonstrated that comets produce debris by water vapor drag, and by breaking. He envisioned comets as “dirty snowballs”, made up of rock embedded in ice, orbiting the Sun.

 

Meteors, are basically space rocks that fall towards planets, or other celestial bodies. The atmosphere of a celestial body heats up these rocks making them appear bright. The bright streak is not actually the rock, but rather it is the glowing hot air as the hot rock zips through the atmosphere.

 

When many meteoroids hit the atmosphere of a celestial body, they are called meteor showers. Comets also orbit the Sun with a lop-sided type of orbit. As they get closer to the Sun, amounts of its icy surface boils off, releasing many particles of dust and rock the size of sand grains.

 

This debris gets thrown out along the comet’s path, especially in the inner solar system. As Earth makes its journey around the sun, its orbit crosses the orbit of a comet resulting in many meteor showers. Given the number of comets orbiting the sun, this happens frequently every year. The maximum size of these meteors is about the size of a boulder. Many of them burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, but some actually hit the surface.

 

Radiant Point
The “tails” of the meteors mostly point back to the same spot on the sky. This is because they are coming from the same angle. Meteor showers are usually named after the constellation where they appear to come from. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they come from there, it is simply a matter of preference and not actuality.

 

Meteor shower on chart.

 

They travel in parallel paths, and at the same velocity creating the illusion that they radiate from a single point in the sky. This radiant point is caused by perspective, similar to parallel railroad tracks – when viewed from a distance they appear to come together in a single point. Due to their brightness, they are often termed as “shooting stars.”

 

Major Meteor Showers

The Meteor Data Centre lists over 900 suspected meteor showers of which about 100 are well established. However, there are about 6 major meteor showers that stand out:

 

1. Quadrantids – It occurs mostly in late December and early January. They originate from 2003 EH1- an asteroid or a possible "rock comet." Radiant – Constellation Boötes. Around 80 meteors per hour fall during this event with a velocity of 25.5 mi / 41 km per second. The Quadrantids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

2. Lyrids – From mid to late April. They originate from the comet Thatcher. Radiant – Constellation Lyra the Harp. Around 20 meteors per hour fall during this event with a velocity of 29.8 mi / 48 km per second. The Lyrids can be tracked by searching for the star Vega. This is one of the oldest known meteor showers. It has been observed for over 2.700 years.

 

Meteoroid trail between fragments of Comet 73P

 

3. Perseids – Active in mid-August. It originates from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Radiant – Constellation Perseus.  Around 60 meteors per hour fall during this event with a velocity of 36.6 mi / 59 km per second. The Perseids are one of the most visible meteor showers. They can be seen from any location but especially from the Northern Hemisphere.

 

4. Orionids – Active in late October-early-November. It originates from the comet 1P/Halley. Radiant – Between the constellations of Orion and Gemini. Around 15 to a maximum of 50-70 meteors fall during this event with a fast velocity of 41 mi / 66 km per second. The Orionids are among the brightest and fastest meteor showers. This event can be best viewed from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the hours after midnight.

 

5. Leonids – The peak is reached in mid-November. It originates from the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.  Radiant – Constellation Leo. Around 15 meteors per hour fall with a velocity of 44 mi / 77 km per second. They are among the brightest, fastest, and colorful meteor showers.

 

About every 33 years or so, Earth can experience a Leonid meteor storm that can peak to hundreds to thousands of meteors per hour. The last Leonid meteor storm took place in 2002. The Leonids are best viewed starting at about midnight local time. Leonid storms gave birth to the term meteor shower.

 

Leonids from space.

 

6. Geminids – Active in early to mid-December. It originates from 3200 Phaethon - an asteroid or a possible "rock comet." Radiant – Constellation Gemini. Around 120 meteors fall per hour with a velocity of 22 mi / 35 km per second. Geminids are considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers. They tend to be yellow in color and have begun their activity since mid-1800. It is best viewed during the night and predawn hours and they are visible across the globe. This shower is considered one of the best opportunities for young viewers since this shower starts around 9 or 10 p.m.

 

Extraterrestrial Meteor Showers

Mars meteor by MER Spirit rover

• Even the Moon can experience meteor showers. Mars and its moons are known to have meteor showers. Many impact craters are used as evidence for this. The atmosphere of Mars has less than 1% the density of Earth’s ground-level atmosphere.
• At the upper edges where meteoroids strike, the two planets are more similar. Meteor showers on Mars tend to be less bright due to the distance from the sun, and the slower velocity also contributes to this dimness.
• Generally, meteor showers on other planets are difficult to observe, but any celestial body with a reasonably transparent atmosphere can also have meteor showers.

 

Future

• There are many dedicated websites on the internet that track and observe future meteor showers. Usually, big events are announced rapidly as well as minor ones.
• If the Leonid meteor shower stays true to its 33 year period meteor storm, then we will probably have the chance to see a spectacular view of meteors descending upon Earth in 2035, in mid-November.
• Meteor showers are unpredictable due to their nature, with new and unknown comets having the potential to “birth” new meteor showers at any given moment.

 

Did you know?

• Around 30 meteor showers occur every year. Most of them occur between April and December.
• The Sylacauga meteorite is the first recorded/documented extraterrestrial object to have injured a human being.
• Around 1.000 people were injured by the Chelyabinsk meteor airburst event over Russia in 2013.
• No human is known to have been killed by a meteorite.
• Calculations suggest that you are more likely to win the lottery than getting hit by a meteorite.
• Meteorites are quite valuable. Some are worth as much as $1.000 per 1 gram. They are rarer than gold, platinum, diamonds or emeralds.
• The ancients worshipped meteorites and included them in their religions. In the present day, the black stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba is revered by Muslims, and it is often believed to be a meteorite.
• Meteor showers contribute to almost 50 tons of space debris falling on Earth every day.
• In the first century A.D., the Greek astronomer Ptolemy believed that shooting stars were a sign of the gods looking upon mortals and listening to their wishes.

Source: Wikipedia - Meteor Shower  |  Facts About Meteor Showers  |  NASA